


The Lost Parts

by LynnMashihita



Category: Hey! Say! JUMP
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-07-26 19:43:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 83,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7587379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LynnMashihita/pseuds/LynnMashihita
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“We’ve promised not to take any revenge to anybody from our past.” Yabu almost whispered his words but everybody could hear him clearly. They didn’t have to ask anything because the oldest of them just reminded them about their promise. They knew that he had the same thought with them. They didn’t have to say anything. They didn’t want to say anything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

The sound of the chirping birds broke his dream and forced him to open his eyes. He blinked many times for a while, spacing out, and sighed for nothing.  
  
_Get up! Another day is waiting to be strangled!_  
  
He got up from the bed and slowly opened the window just to be faced by the bright light of the morning sun.  
  
_Summer sun. It is very bright even in the morning._  
  
He turned around and saw the silent smile from every part of his room. He smiled back and tapped his table.  
  
“Good morning, guys. It will be a very hot day too today.”  
  
He opened the door and walked out, and the smile in his face erased along the process, changed with a flat expression he usually wore.  
  
“As usual, you’re the first, Yamada.”  
  
He turned to the kitchen and welcomed by a very wide smile from Daiki, and the smell of a delicious chicken soup.  
  
“Another chicken soup?”  
  
“Yup. It will be a very hot today and I can’t let you dry from the sunray.”  
  
He almost chuckled at the comment.  
  
_We won’t go anywhere today so we won’t get dry. As usual, you’re always exaggerating everything._  
  
He went to the faucet and washed his face in one go. He stunned in front of the mirror and unconsciously studied his looks.  
  
_I grew up, Mom, Dad. I’m twenty now._  
  
He breathed heavily when he realized that no one would respond for him. He turned over and helped Daiki with the dishes.  
  
“Would you help me bring this soup to the table? My hand is full now.”  
  
He didn’t answer but he walked over and took the bowl and brought it to the table.  
  
At the same time, the door opened and revealed a pretty boy walked in to the room.  
  
“Another chicken soup in the morning. Can’t you make another?”  
  
“I can make you a big burger as your breakfast, Inoo-Chan, but it will just make Takaki dances around the room with happiness, and trust me, you don’t want to see that.”  
  
Inoo pursed his lips and took a bottle of water from the fridge.  
  
“You should thank Daiki because of that he serves rice this morning.”  
  
Inoo suddenly smiled widely and walked over to Yamada.  
  
“I’m busted~”  
  
Yamada rolled his eyes and walked away from the dining table to help Daiki bringing the food.  
  
“Hmmm, the smell is really good. Another chicken soup?”  
  
Everyone entered the room and sat around the table.  
  
“This becomes our regular breakfast lately. What is happening to you, Daiki? Always cooking the same menu every morning. You didn’t do this before.”  
  
The said person turned over and sighed.  
  
“I will change the menu when our groceries ran out. And remind yourself not to let Inoo buys the groceries without any other of you accompanies him.”  
  
Everyone looked at Inoo who smiled innocently to them.  
  
Ryutaro stunned when his phone buzzed. He suddenly reached out and walked out of the room, and walked back with a stiff expression.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
He sighed and sat down. “We agreed that there will be no talking about work on the dining table but we have to get hurry because the upper will be here in fifteen minutes.”  
  
“Which one?”  
  
“Kitagawa.”  
  
“Which means,” Inoo started to dig his food, “he will be here right in fifteen minutes. Oops, wrong. Thirteen minutes left.”  
  
There’s no one responded. They just ate silently without more talking. Everybody knew that when the upper was visiting, there must be an important assignment that waiting for them. Especially, the one Inoo talked.  
  
It was a girl, in her sixteen or seventeen, who sat silently beside the old man.  
  
“She will be here until everything is stable. You can read everything here.” He put a stack of paper on the table and stood up. He patted her head and smiled. “You will be fine here. This is the safest place in the world. I will get you when the situation is under controlled.”  
  
“Kitagawa-San.”  
  
The old man turned to Yabu in an incredible speed, almost startled Yabu, but it didn’t make him wonder. He knew it. Everybody in the room knew the history of the old man in front of them. He was one of the legends so no one commented, or responded, and they didn’t even wonder. They just looked at him in awe.  
  
“I said you can read everything there. Is there any question?”  
  
Yabu smiled. “I know. I just want to say that you should take a way round to get back to the base.”  
  
The old man smirked. “As usual, you always underestimate me, young man. I know how to defend myself, and I know where I should go when I feel unsecure. I’m more experienced than you.”  
  
“Yes, Sir. Be careful on your way back.”  
  
The old man walked back to the car, and Yabu shook his head when the car was driven too fast than it should be.  
  
“Despite of his look, he is very young in his heart.”  
  
He looked to his side and found Hikaru was tapped his chin while looking at the direction where the old man was disappeared.  
  
He smiled and shook his head once again at the fact that he agreed him. He turned over and found no one in the living room. He shook his head once again and closed the door.  
  
Everyone had waited him in the room where they usually gathered. They spread all over the room. Some of them sat on the couch with the girl, tried to make her distracted from her current situation until her mood slowly but sure, came back, and all of them finally looked at each other when a smile tugged on her lips.  
  
Yamada stood near the window and stared at the girl intently. He leaned to the wall and folded his arms on his chest. Something about the girl made him stunned. He didn’t know why. He didn’t know how. He just couldn’t avert his eyes from the girl.  
  
“Falling for her?”  
  
He turned to find Inoo was smirking while staring at the girl.  
  
“No wonder. She’s beautiful.” He furrowed his brows and tapped his chin. “Why I feel like knowing her before? Her face looks familiar to me.”  
  
“See? She looks familiar, but I couldn’t remember anything.”  
  
“She’s the daughter of the president of a very big company, guys. Of course her face looks familiar. She appears on TV almost every day.”  
  
Yuri jumped to the window and reached for Yamada’s hair.  
“You changed the color again.”  
  
Yamada didn’t react. He knew it would be useless because Yuri would tail him everywhere if he tried to avoid him. He just stared at the girl and tried to think about anything but there’s nothing came to his mind, made him finally sighed heavily and surrender.  
  
“It’s different.”  
  
He turned to Inoo who was still tapping his chin.  
  
“It’s not because of that reason I guess. She looks very familiar. Why?”  
  
Daiki entered the room and beamed his wide smile.  
  
“The room’s ready~”  
  
He lifted her bag and escorted her to her room, leaving all of the others who suddenly gathered around the couch and took out the document.  
One of them walked to the window and look out to the trees outside. He touched his chest and moved to his neck, and reached for his necklace. He looked down to the pendant and smiled vaguely.  
  
_I found you._


	2. Busted

“She doesn’t talk much.”   
  
Yabu looked up to see Daiki was walking into the room gloomily. He smiled lightly and shrugged.   
  
“Let her alone, please. She needs time to settle everything. Being in one house with ten guys you’ve never met before is not easy, okay?”   
  
“But shouldn’t we entertain her while she’s here? At least we can’t let her sits alone in the corner and mourns for her fate.”   
  
“What fate? There’s nothing wrong with her fate.”   
  
“Oh, come on! Receiving a thread which said she would be killed for a normal girl is very scary, Yabu, I believe you knew that.”   
  
“Oh, I’m sorry. I have no memories of receiving any thread all my life. All I receive is a warning right before they shoot me, so I guess I have no idea how it feels when you receive a thread which said someone will kill you.”   
  
Daiki gaped dramatically. He fisted his hands and threw Yabu a fake punch.   
  
“Daiki?” Keito walked over and tapped his shoulder.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Are you falling for her?”   
  
“What?!”   
  
Yabu sighed heavily. “You shouldn’t be involved personally to the client.”   
  
“I know!”   
  
“You look forgotten about that.” Yamada flipped his papers casually. He didn’t even look at him any second and just enjoying his own business.   
  
Daiki walked to him and took his papers. “I do remember about the rules.”   
  
Yamada took the papers back silently. He didn’t even give him any response and just took the papers back from Daiki.   
  
“Listen, I’m not falling for her. It’s just ..., we have to ..., be kind to her, right? She’s far from her house. She stays away from her family. She’s alone here, in the middle of nowhere, with ten guys she’d never met before. Hello! She’s only seventeen.”   
  
“Nineteen, next month.”   
  
“What?” He turned to Yuri who beamed him a very wide smile.   
  
“Yes. She looks younger than that but this paper said that she will be nineteen next month.”   
  
Daiki took the papers from the shortest of them and hastily read it.   
  
“I found something about the black mails.”   
  
Inoo suddenly entered the room and stopped in front of Daiki.   
  
“What happened to you?” He looked at the others one by one intently. “Are you bullying him again, guys?”   
  
Everybody looked at each other and almost all of them suppressed their laugh.   
  
“We just told him not to get involved personally with the client, and I didn’t remember we ever bullied him.”   
  
Yabu didn’t even averted his eyes from his papers when he calmly defended everybody in the room. He was still seriously read those papers, flipping through pages and made some signs on them.   
  
Inoo sighed dramatically and walked over. He put his PDA on the papers and forced Yabu to face him.   
  
“Yabu, there is this thing called computer. It is a very great tool that can help you to do your everything including saving your data. You don’t have to carry those papers everywhere you go. You just need to bring this,” He showed his PDA, “and you can manage your time incredibly. It’s very simple.”   
  
Yabu smiled and took his papers back.   
  
“Let me do this in a conventional way.”   
  
“Oldish.”   
  
Inoo turned to Daiki and tapped his shoulder again.   
  
“It’s okay if you fall for her because she’s pretty. Very pretty. But you have to prepare yourself to be disappointed because I saw her took glances, many times, to Takaki.”   
  
Everyone in the room stopped whatever they’re doing and looked at Inoo in silent.   
  
“What? I’m not lying. I told you what I’ve seen.”   
  
Daiki narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “You’re not serious.”   
  
“I am deadly serious. I didn’t believe it at first, too. But then I found her many times watching Takaki silently. I repeat, many times, in less than twenty four hours.”   
  
“Maybe she’s just interested in his hair? He has undeniable great hair. I mean, his hair is ..., I don’t know how to describe it.” Daiki tapped his chin many times.   
  
“Beautiful?”   
  
“No. Gorgeous is more suitable, Yuri.” Keito smiled before turning back to his papers.   
  
“Yes. That’s more ... “  
  
Then everybody stopped their talking so sudden. They turned to the door and a second later a face of the person they’d talked about was looked back at them.   
  
“Can I ... come in?”   
  
“Sure!”   
  
Daiki almost ran to get her into the room, shoved Yamada away from the couch to give her the place to sit.   
  
“Are you okay?”   
  
She nodded lightly.   
  
“Look, this place isn’t as great as your house, but I assure you that you will feel very comfortable here.”   
  
Some of the boys rolled their eyes.   
  
“I know. It’s just ..., okay, this is the first time I’m staying away from house with ..., no one accompany me ..., I mean, ...,”   
  
“Your bodyguards?”   
  
The girl nodded silently.   
  
“I don’t know that this is this serious so my father should send me away to the place where nobody knows where. I sometimes feel that he is exagerating things.”   
  
“He’s just being a careful father. He doesn’t want anything bad happens to you.”   
  
“What will happen to me?”   
  
Daiki sat beside her on the couch and reached for her hands.   
  
“Someone out there, sent black mails to your father that he, or she, or they, we still don’t know, will kill you if your father doesn’t do anything they want.”   
  
The girl chuckled loudly.   
  
“Is this person crazy?”   
  
“Yes. This person is very crazy.”   
  
“Everybody in the world knows that I am not his real daughter. I don’t mind for receiving those black mails. It isn’t the first time though. But isn’t it a waste that he sent the thread to him?”   
  
“Everybody in the world knows that your father loves you too much even though you’re not his real daughter. I guess that reason is enough to send the thread to him.”   
  
The girl shut her mouth so sudden and just stared at Yamada who didn’t even look at her while talking.   
  
“Look,” Inoo walked to her, “let’s put aside all of those stupid things about real daughter or not real daughter, or the love that is too much for you to receive. Let’s just see that you and your father received blackmails many times, some weird accidents, and you and your father are the only ones know how it feels, right?”   
  
The girld turned to Inoo but said nothing.   
  
“I know you’re smart, and I believe you’ve found something through those stupid things. Why don’t you share about your founding? Even if it just a little guess, it will help. And you will go back to town before you realize it.”   
  
“I can go back to town anytime I want.”   
  
Inoo smiled miscievously. He sat in front of her and stared right to her eyes.   
  
“You don’t want to go back to town now. Not when you found that you feel something about our Yuya.”   
  
The girl stunned and everybody in the room saw the tint of read spread all over her cheeks. Inoo grinned to Daiki who gaped dramatically beside the girl, didn’t believe of what he saw about the girls’s reaction, and didn’t believe that Inoo would attack her boldly.   



	3. New Feeling

“It’s not like what you think.”  
  
Ingo grinned widely at the comment. He stood up and reached for her hands and pulled her to stand up with him.  
  
“Don’t worry. It is really okay. As long as you promise that you won’t make him cry, believe me that I will be your shelter from everything. I will protect you. Both of you, so you will live happily ever after.”  
  
“I told you it is not like what you’re thinking.”  
  
“Come on~  
  
Daiki pulled her from Inoo and hid her behind him.  
  
“Stop talking nonsense, Inoo. She said it’s not like what you’re thinking, then it must be different.”  
  
“The knight is trying to save his princess~”  
  
“Yabu, I need to ... “  
  
Takaki stopped so sudden by the door. He blinked many times to the scene in front of him and didn’t realize that everyone’s eyes were darted to him intently.  
  
“I ... what is happening? I’ve missed something?”  
  
The girl suddenly pulled her hand from Daiki and stepped away from him.  
  
“It’s nothing.”  
  
“Oh, okay.” He nodded many times before turned to Yabu and signed him to follow.  
  
“I don’t know each of you, how can I be so sure that I’m save here?” The girl threw herself on the couch. “What if one of you actually the one who sent my father the thread?”  
  
Everyone looked at each other but said nothing. Takaki turned over and walked away from the room, followed by Inoo who rushed out of the room bringing his PDA, and Yabu who tailed them with his papers.  
  
Yuri stood up and sat beside her on the same couch.  
  
“Oh yeah. We’ve sent that thread to your father, which said …, what is it again?” He turned to Daiki who rolled his eyes looking at the shortest of them was trying to mock her.  
  
“To kill her, and throw her body to the sea.”  
  
“That!” Yuri pointed at Daiki and smiled widely to the girl. “We will kill you in a very nasty way. We will put your dead body in a bag and throw you to the sea. Before that, together with your dead body we will put a very big stone in the bag so nobody will find your dead body because it will sink deeply into the sea for who knows how long.”  
  
The girl gulped and saw him in horror.  
  
“Don’t mind him,” Keito pulled her, and take her away from Yuri, “he’s not serious. Listen, Your father sent you to Kitagawa, because he trusted him. Kitagawa sent you here because he trusted us. Will you believe us now because I know you’re smart enough to analyze everything in one look?”  
  
The girl sighed and almost slumped.  
  
“I know. I don’t smell any suspicious thing on you. I just ... “  
  
“It’s just hard, isn’t it? Leaving your father away, and staying in the place you’ve never knew before, with ten guys you’ve never met before. I know it’s hard.”  
  
“He is being a gentleman again.” Yuri nudged Yamada who still bussied himself with the papers. “Keito.”  
  
“She agreed him anyway, so I guess it’s okay.”  
  
Yuri pouted at his cold respons.  
  
“Come on, I’ll show you around.” Daiki pulled her and dragged her out of the room.  
  
Everyone in the room stared at each other and chuckled.  
  
“Guys, I guess we can start with this.”  
  
Now everybody looked at Yamada. Keito reached for the paper and read it in silent. The atmosphere suddenly turned stiff and everyone reached for the papers. The took glances to each other and without any command suddenly stood up and walked out of the room.  
  
“Ryu, I need you to check on this,” Yabu handed him a paper right after he entered the little library in their house, “and I need the rest to be careful since now. Tell Daiki to stay beside the girl always and never let her go even a step outside the gate.”  
  
“Yes, bos~”  
  
Yabu froze and sighed. “Hikaru, I’m not the bos. We’re equal.”  
  
Hikaru smiled widely. “Understood, big brother.”  
  
Once again Yabu sighed and shook his head, realizing that it would be a waste to debate with Hikaru.  
  
“Takaki, will you please tell that best friend of yours to be serious in this kind of time. I don’t mind he is being funny, I like it actually, but not in this kind of time. Not when I am explaining something that will make him shiver.”  
  
Hikaru suddenly stopped smiling when Takaki kicked his feet, and threw a serious look to Yabu. “What is it?”  
  
“Our search found something related to Yamamoto. Remember him?”  
  
“Of course. He’s a very ..., bad? He is really bad news.” Yuri almost rolled his eyes at the fact that all of them were still remember the person whom they encountered many times in the past.  
  
Hikaru breathed heavily in relief. “I thought it’s about ... “  
  
Once again Hikaru stopped talking when suddenly Takaki stepped on his feet, made him grimaced dramatically without voice.  
  
“There’s something going on in their base. We’d better move now or everything will be too late later.”  
  
Yabu stood up and breathed heavily. “Okay, guys, prepare yourselves and we will meet in the garage in thirty minutes.”  
  
Everybody moved out of the room fastly. No one talk along their way to their room. They moved in silent and no one tried to joke anymore. A tense atmosphere suddenly enveloped the house.  
  
Yamada took a glance to his watch and bit his lower lips when he saw it didn’t really move.  
  
_It’s still twenty minutes. Yabu gave us too long to prepare. We only need ten minutes to do it. ___  
  
He walked slowly along the corridor with glass windows in one side, which showed him the green scenery of the valley. He suddenly stopped and frozen. Through the glass window he saw them, hugging each other under the shady tree in the back yard. Takaki and the girl. Both of them looked happy.  
  
_What are they doing? ___  
  
He blinked many times and didn’t know what to do.  
  
_So, it’s true that you love him. Are you together now? ___  
  
Something inside him suddenly felt so empty.  
  
_What is it? ___  
  
He turned over and walked away, just to stop again after only few steps. He touched his chest and could feel the beat of his heart.  
  
_Why it beats so fast? ___  
  
He stood in his place and didn’t release his hand from his chest until he didn’t realize a figure showed up in front of him.  
  
“Yamada, what are doing here?”  
  
He almost jumped at the question and could only blink his eyes when he found that it was Takaki who found him doing something unusual.  
  
“It’s nothing.”  
  
Takaki turned to the window and saw the Daiki who was walking over to the girl.  
  
“You saw us.”  
  
Yamada gulped and looked away. He didn’t even dare to look at him, made Takaki smiled misceavously.  
  
“Jealous?”  
  
Yamada shot him a sharp look.  
  
“I’m not.”  
  
Takaki chuckled lightly and tapped his back softly.  
  
“She’s my sister. Don’t worry.”  
  
Once again Yamada stunned in his place. He didn’t say anything and just looked silently at the broad shoulder that walked away from him.  
  
_She’s my sister. ___  
  
He turned to the girl once again and breathed heavily finally.  
  
_So you’ve found your family. ___  
  
“Ah~ That’s why she looks familiar. She looks exactly like Takaki. I realize it now.”  
  
Yamada turned to see Inoo was standing beside him and nodded frantically while seeing the girl through the glass window.  
  
_Yes. Why didn’t I realize it soon. She looks like Takaki, that’s why she looks very familiar. ___  
  
Without his realization he breathed heavily in relief and a little smile tugged on the corner of his lips.  



	4. The First Tears

The eerie atmosphere welcomed them when they entered the building. Carefully they walked among the dead body on the floor and scanned through rooms. Inoo walked fast when he entered a room and found the main computer was stood proudly in the centre of the room. His fingers worked fast and not more than ten minutes he pulled the main part of the main computer and gave everybody a peace sign after he carefully put the thing into his bag.  
  
“Let’s go home.”  
  
Everybody walked out of the building, left Takaki and Yamada to sweep the place.  
  
“Be careful. Watch each other.”  
  
Yabu pleaded them before closed the door of the car and moved away.  
  
Without any command, both Takaki and Yamada moved around the building. Yamada bit his lower lip when he saw Takaki looked too tense then usual. He stared at him, tried to dig any sign of fear but found nothing. He breathed heavily before gave him sign to split.  
  
It was too silent even for an empty building. He didn’t like the feeling crept out of his body when he turned to his left and walked out of the building through the side door. He looked around in silent and suddenly a series of shooting poured him rapidly.  
  
He ducked deeply when a bullet whizzing over his head. He tried hard to move but his body rejected him. He couldn’t feel his right leg. It’s numb.  
  
_Shit. They got me._   
  
He cursed silently and forced it to move. He was about to stood up when a grenade landed in front of him. He stopped moving and stared at the thing with wide-eyed. He was too stunned and could only gulp.  
  
_Is this the end?_  
  
He closed his eyes right away, ready to face Death who smiled in triumph in front of him. He heard the explosion, but it was far enough for him to feel the heat. The strangest thing was, he felt he was pushed to the ground and a heavy load pressed him, to spare him from the explosion.  
  
“Are you okay?”  
  
He opened his eyes and met with a pair of worried eyes. The deep voice he heard sounded too distance for him to understand what it meant.  
  
“Yamada! Are you okay?”  
  
He startled and blinked his eyes. Finally he realized that he was just been saved. “Yes. I’m fine.”  
  
“Good. Can you move?”  
  
He nodded many times before trying to stand up just to be failed. His leg didn’t want to cooperate. It’s still numb. He was about to fall again when a hand reached for his arm and helped him to stand straightly. He looked at the person and realization struck him hard. He shoved his hand and tried to walk away.  
  
The person chuckled lightly. “Don’t be so cocky. You’re wounded. Isn’t it enough for you to let anybody else help you?”  
  
Yamada glared at him. “I can walk on my own.”  
  
The person smiled widely and shook his head. “Fine. I won’t touch you then~”  
  
He was just going to follow Yamada when his transceiver went off.  
  
“Yes. Okay. Understood.”  
  
He then looked up to met with Yamada’s eyes which questioned him in silent, and smiled. “Inoo cracked the secret code. The base had received his report and they found the person who sent the blackmails. They sent another unit to finish the assignment, so our mission’s complete. We’re leaving. Let’s go.”  
  
Yamada breathed heavily. “He’s scary, right? Inoo. I believe they don’t even reached home yet, but he had cracked the code.”  
  
Takaki nodded. “He is.”  
  
Yamada turned over and walked again. But it was only for few steps when he heard another shot.  
  
“Get down!”  
  
It was the only words he heard before he was once again pushed to the ground harshly. This time he fell down alone and no heavy load covered his body. A series of shots heard continuously. He ducked deeply before decided to reach for his own gun.  
  
_There’s no way I’ve been saved by the same person twice in just one hour. I’m not that weak. I’m strong. I have to defend myself. I have to save myself. I can’t hang on anybody else if I want to be saved. I have to fight alone. On my own._  
  
He peeked up and when he found the source of the shots, confidently he aimed his gun to the shooter and a second after he pulled the trigger the shots sounded undirected before stopped completely. A loud thud heard from afar when the shooter fell from the rooftop.  
  
He stood up quickly, forgetting the wound in his leg and looked around in an alert position. No suspicious sound or move. It’s silent. There’s only the sound of the Summer wind blew.  
  
He sighed deeply as he realized that they’re safe. He turned to see his savior was still lying on his stomach on the ground. He moved over and turned him upward and bewildered when he saw blood in the front of his body.  
  
“Takaki! Are you with me?”  
  
He shook the latter’s body harshly and almost sighed again when the latter opened his eyes.  
  
“Are you ... okay?”  
  
“Stupid! Look at yourself before asking someone else! Let me see the wound. Where did you get shot?”  
  
Takaki smiled. “I … guess … two in my chest. It hurts, damn it!” He cursed when Yamada touched him rather hard on the place he got shot. “ And … one … in my ... here.” His hand trailed to his stomach. It trembled.  
  
_Shit. He’s bleeding so badly. I have to stop it._  
  
He tore apart Takaki’s clothes and started to do the first aid for him when he felt the grip on his hand.  
  
“Stop it. It’s … useless. I won’t … make it.”  
  
“Shut up!” He ignored him and started to bandage the wound so the blood stopped flowing.  
  
“Yamada …, please. Leave … me alone.”  
  
“I told you to shut up, didn’t I? I won’t leave you here alone. We’re going back home together so you have to stay with me. Do you understand that?” He almost yelled at the older to keep him awake.  
  
“This … “  
  
He stopped his move when he saw him held out a necklace.  
  
“Give … this … to … Yui.”  
  
“No. Give it to her yourself.”  
  
“And … say … I’m … sorry … “  
  
“No! I said you have to give it to her by yourself. Stay with me, Takaki! I will kill you if you dare to leave me!”  
  
“Sorry … “ With that Takaki lost his consciousness.  
  
“Takaki! I told you I will kill you if you dare to die in front of me. Don’t you understand that? Takaki!”  
  
But the older didn’t budge. He didn’t answer him. He didn’t even move any single finger. Yamada desperately continued to bandage his wound while yelling at him. He took the necklace and kept it in his pocket before lifted the older to his shoulder with all his might.  
  
“I won’t let you die. I forbid you to die so you’d better stay with me or I will kill you many times until you couldn’t even be reincarnated anymore.”  
  
He gritted his teeth, not only the heavy load on his shoulder, but also from the urge feeling suddenly suffocated him. He didn’t know why. He just had the feeling that he didn’t want to lose him. It was hurt. Too hurt until he couldn’t stop the tears from falling on his cheek.  
  
_Am I crying? Why? I shouldn’t have this feeling, right? We killed this feeling since we decided to join the troop, didn’t we? So why it feel so hurt?_  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe some of you've read this story before~  
> And I present you the full story here  
> :)


	5. Shared Memory

A strong smelt of disinfectant struck strongly him when finally Yamada opened his eyes.  
  
Blue.  
  
_Where am I?_  
  
He gulped and found it hard to do. He felt hurt in his throat and unconsciously winced to the feeling.  
  
“Want to drink?”  
  
The gentle voice interested him, made him glanced over just to meet with the calming face of the oldest of them. He tried to get up and more than glad when the older helped him to lean over the pillow. He even let himself to be treated as a spoiled one when the older handed over a glass of water. He even helped him holding the glass when he saw his hand trembled.  
  
“You’ve been out for almost two days.”  
  
He blinked slowly, trying hard to digest his whereabouts. And when he saw an iv bag on his right side, which connected to his right hand, the memory suddenly rushed back to his mind, attacked him like a series of shooting showered him continuously, made him got up from his leaning right away and resulted a sting of pain in his whole body at once. He closed his eyes tightly to reduce the pain and surrender to the hold on his shoulder when he was gently pushed to lean on the pillow again.  
  
“Calm down. He’s fine.”  
  
He opened his eyes and looked silently at the older who was smiling at him which was so calming, so he just laid down the pillow again obediently. He felt his head was so heavy so sudden because of the memory and now so many questions popped out on his head at one time.  
  
“At least he’s still with us. You did well. For not leaving him there and brought him home, and the first aid you did. It made him saved. At least he’s still with us. All thanks to you.”  
  
A slight sigh released from his mouth at the information.  
  
“He lost so much blood and we’re still trying to do transfusion on him. Let’s just hope that he will wake up soon so he will know that he’s home.”  
  
He stared at the blue ceiling in front of him when the sight of the bloody body he tried to carry back home on his shoulder felt heavier each step he took. He didn’t stop talking to him along the way home. His grip on his body grew tighter each second, tried hard to make the older stayed with him still, while his heart didn’t stop praying so Death wouldn’t take him away. He now remembered clearly when he reached the gate and he just yelled the word ‘help’ when someone ran over. He didn’t know who he was. He didn’t even remember the rest. He just remembered that he had begged to the person to save the one he carried home.  
  
Home.  
  
Yes, home.  
  
The realization of being in home had relieved him.  
  
Home.  
  
The place where he lived now, he didn’t care what others called it, was his home. The only home he had. The only place he called home. The only home he had.  
  
Was that the reason why his tears flew when he found that Takaki drifted to unconsciousness state and didn’t wake up even when he yelled at him so many times? Was it really the reason he cried? Because they came from the same place called ‘home’? Which meant they’re brother? And he was just afraid that he would lose his brother? Wasn’t there any other reason?  
  
“You shared the same memory with him, that’s why you cried.”  
  
His eyes wide opened at the comment. He turned to see the serious expression at the older face.  
  
“Oceana Theme Park.”  
  
Once again, his eyes wide opened.  
  
“Your parents died in that shooting incident, so were Takaki’s.”  
  
Yamada glared at the older just to receive a wide smile.  
  
“You did too, didn’t you? Checking our background? Because you will live with us for who knows how long so you checked our background to make it as insurance. And trust me. Most of us did the same.” The older winked at him for the last part.  
  
Yamada looked away from him, made him sighed slightly.  
  
“You desperately wailed to us to save him that day, don’t you remember?”  
  
Yamada turned to him and slightly gaped at the revelation.  
  
“Because if Takaki dies, you don’t have anyone else you consider as a relative.”  
  
“We’re not related each other.”  
  
“Yes. No blood bonding between the two of you. But deep inside you, you consider him as someone important because of that incident. As I told you before that both of you shared the same memory. And you think you will be left alone in this world if he dies. That’s why you cried.”  
  
Yamada kept his mouth shut because he found himself silently agreed him.  
  
“The incident was one of a series of shooting incident in this country that time which led to another series of unsolved crimes until today. Robberies, murders, arson, and worst, the mastermind of those crimes was or were still free. You don’t want to be left to face them alone when one day you found him, or her, or them, because you want to be assured that you won’t do anything wrong. You want someone to back you up, to make you take the right decision. And he is the only one left beside you from the incident. You need strength to hold that memory. You need him to stay alive to help you move on.”  
  
“I moved on.”  
  
“No, you didn’t. Yet. You still carried your anger within you. You suppressed it deeply inside you and tried hard to forget it. That’s not moving on, Yamada. You’re just avoiding it.”  
  
Yamada didn’t say anything.  
  
“But Takaki is different. He moved on. He didn’t forget every single second of the incident. He tried not to forget about it. He once told me every detail of the incident from the very start until the end according to his memory. He even told me how he felt that time. What’s on his mind that time, and he decided to face it as one phase of his life and didn’t avoid it. He doesn’t avoid it.”  
  
Yamada gulped again and looked away.  
  
The older smiled again and stood up.  
  
“He’s in the room next door if you want to visit.”  
  
And he walked out the room when he just received a silent answer from the younger. He closed the door slowly and stood in his place for a moment.  
  
“How’s he?”  
  
He turned around to see one of them walked over. “Awake, and much better. How’s Takaki?”  
  
“We still have him the last time I checked few minutes ago. Nothing’s new.”  
  
He looked at the door where Takaki was assigned without any intention to come around. He had been there all night when he came for the first time and his heart stopped beating many times every time the younger's heart stopped.  
  
“And the girl didn’t move any single second from his side.”  
  
He smiled now. “Glad that finally one of us found the family. I feel like …, “ he looked at the door again. “maybe one day miraculously I found mine too.”  
  
“I stopped dreaming years ago so count me out.”  
  
He looked at the later who looked at him without expression.  
  
“Hikaru … “  
  
“No. Don’t say anything. I’m not ready to hear any lecture right now because …”  
  
“Because you just stole my files!”  
  
Both of them turned around to see the slender figure surrounded with the dark aura came over. Hikaru suddenly moved to his back, tried to hide himself from the person.  
  
“I’m just borrowing your report, Inoo-Chan, and will return it back to you when I finished making mine~. Don’t be stingy, Inoo-Chan.”  
  
“Don’t call me Inoo-Chan and GIVE BACK my report! Yabu, stay out of my way! And I won’t let you go easily this time, you stupid clown!”  
  
“Guys, please. We’re in the recovery ward so low down your voice, please.”  
  
As he expected, both of them didn’t hear him. Hikaru ran away and Inoo chased him with all his might, and Yabu could only shake his head.  
  
“Things never change.” He mumbled and scratched his head before walked away from the corridor. “And this is just another day in the house.”  



	6. The First Attack

He smiled widely when his mother gave him an ice cream. It was the most beautiful day in his life. The sun was shining proudly, the children around him cheered loudly, assisted by the adults running around the park. He was too. He smiled.   
  
Then suddenly his ice cream fell to the ground. He looked down to see his ice cream melted right away. He was just going to ask his mother to buy him again when he saw everybody was lying on the ground, with blood all over the place. He saw his mother in front of him in horror. Blood was covering his body. He turned to see his father with the same condition. He looked up and saw someone was walking over him. He wanted to run but his feet rooted in his place. He wanted to scream but not even a single sound came out of his mouth. He didn’t even know what to do when the one pointed the gun to him. Before he could decide about what to do, he saw him pulled the trigger. A loud bang heard when a bullet spewed from the muzzle of the gun.   
  
Yamada opened his eyes in jolt and looked around in alert. The blue ceiling, the smell of disinfectant, a warm blanket, and a sting of pain in his right thigh. He breathed heavily at the recognition of the place.   
  
_Right. It’s only a dream._   
  
He palmed his face and when he found himself had calmed down from the nightmare, he decided to get up from the bed and walked out of the room.   
  
Hesitantly, he opened the door and walked in to the room. He looked intently to the body laid down the bed in silence. The body he brought with all his might back here. The body he desperately wanted to be saved.   
  
_Are you always having the nightmare too? Why do you keep calm all the time with those nightmares?_   
  
“You should be on your bed until the doctor said its okay for you to walk.”   
  
He turned around to see one of his friend smiled at him by the door.   
  
“Come on. He’s fine. At least he is stable. His heart beats steadily, and that’s enough for us to know that he’s going to be okay.”   
  
He turned to the body again, slightly took a glance to the portable vital signs monitor beside the bed, and found that his heart beat steadily just like he said. Nothing’s wrong with his heart which meant everything was under control, at least for now. And he wished the latter would open his eyes soon.   
  
“Come on. The wound on your thigh won’t heal perfectly if you don’t obey the doctor. And trust me, if he found you walk around aside of laying down the bed, he will tie you on the bed and no one of us could save you. Doctor Kamenashi is the scariest person in the world.” He whispered the last sentence to Yamada’s ear.   
  
Giving his last stare to the unconscious one, he walked out the room. Not that he scared of the doctor but he decided to not give his friends more trouble. They took care of him was enough for him to feel like a burden. He didn’t want to give them more than this.   
  
He stubbornly shoved him away when he tucked him on his bed.   
  
_I’m not a child. I can do this on my own even with a wound on my thigh. It’s nothing. I’ll heal soon._   
  
“Why are you still here?”   
  
His friend smiled at him. “I have to be assured that you won’t walk out of your room again tonight, which means I have to wait for you to fall asleep before I go back to my room.”   
  
Yamada gaped at the answer.   
  
“Sorry, but we don’t treat you as a child if that what you’re thinking now, no offense. I knew you too well,” He raised his hand to stop Yamada for interruption. “We knew you too well. With me being here to watch you until you fall asleep, I knew you will think that we treat you as a child. No. it’s not that. We still have Takaki unconscious. We don’t know when he will wake up. And we don’t need anyone else to be watched over now. We still have unsecured condition. We still have the order to stay alert from the upper so we need you to heal soon. You're one of our best snipers. We need your ability to help us, so please help yourself to heal soon.”   
  
Yamada stayed silence in his place. His explanation was reasonable enough, made him shut his mouth right away, and threw away his plan to complaint and decided to forget all his plans to sneak out of the room once he was alone. He sighed slightly and looked up to the person.   
  
“Why are you so tall, Yuto?”   
  
Yuto lifted his eyebrows, amused with the sudden question. He then tried to find the best answer for it but found nothing in his mind. “Mm, maybe... I was a giraffe in my previous life?”   
  
And the answer made Yamada gaped once again at him.   
  
Yuto giggled seeing the response. “Sorry, just kidding. I don’t know. Maybe it’s my gene. Maybe my parents are tall so I grew this tall too. Who knows?” He shrugged.   
  
Yamada bit his lips when a sudden thought struck him.   
  
_Stupid me. I guess I’ve just touched the forbidden part_.   
  
And Yuto read the sign. “No. it’s okay, really. You can ask me about anything. And you didn’t ask the wrong question.”   
  
"Sorry.”   
  
Yuto moved over and tapped his arm. “I’ve told you it’s okay, haven’t I? Just get well soon because we need you”   
  
Yamada could only nodded at him, made the latter smiled before walked out of the room.   
  
_Noted to myself, never ask weird question to anybody ever again._   
  
He sighed heavily before decided to sleep.   
  
And it was the sound of a series gunshot that woke him up from his deep slumber. Instinctively he jumped down the bed and ducked on the floor. When he found it’s safe for him look up, he moved slowly to the door and opened it just to receive a loud shoot heard. He ducked deeply while moving upward to the next door where Takaki had been assigned. He was just closing the door when he heard the glass window broke and something fell to the floor. His eyes widened at the sight. A grenade stood proudly in front of him. Without thinking he took it and threw back through the broken window. A loud bang heard, made him ducked on top of the body, tried to prevent him from the explosion.   
  
“Situation!”   
  
Someone yelled outside the room between the series of the gunshot, made him widened his eyes when he acciddentaly touched warm liquid.   
  
“The hose! It detached from the needle! There’re so many bloods coming out from the place where it should be placed!”   
  
He tried hard to stop the bleeding on Takaki’s hand with pressing it hard but the blood didn’t stop. It was still flowing out and made him got panicked. He didn’t hear anyone’s coming but then he felt being shoved aside. And before he could digest why he was being shoved, he saw Inoo had fixed the hose back to be connected to Takaki’s hand, and checked all the vital signs of him.   
  
“Stay there!”   
  
Yamada turned around and could only stare at the gun Keito threw to him before took it hesitantly and instinctively leaned on the wall and peeked outside the door. He looked at Inoo who had already been busy taking care of Takaki and decided to not leave the room because once he did it both of the person inside the room would be the vulnerable ones and would be easily knocked down.   
  
But then everything went silent. No shouting, no gunshot, no explosion. And before he knew it everybody had entered the room. Keito took the gun from his hand and kept it away from him.   
  
Yuri walked over and stopped in front of him with a mischievous smile on his face. “Finally we found your weakness.”   
  
Yamada stared at him intently.   
  
_What?_   
  
“You’re trembling.”   
  
Yamada looked at his hand and found the younger was right. It trembled. He gulped at the sight.   
  
_Why? Why am I this afraid? It was only a little attack and I trembled this hard? What happened to me?_   
  
“Trust me. It’s not coming from you yourself, Ryosuke. But we found something interesting.” Yuri pointed at the laying body on the bed. “Next time, when you started to act all stubborn or start to close yourself in your own world like you always did, I’ll just tackle Yuya down.”   
  
This time Yamada stared at him in horror. He turned over to see the said person was still laid down unconscious on the bed with Inoo checked on him silently.   
  
“See! I’m right! Who knows that his weakness is right in front of us! I don’t know that he got panicked that easy! This is epic!”   
  
“Stop it, Yuri! This isn’t the time for joking.” Yabu tapped Yuri’s head and looked around at everybody in the room. “Inoo, stay here and take care of Takaki. Yamada, you stay here too. Don’t dare to walk out of this room. Keito, give him back the gun, in case there’s still uninvited guest suddenly popped out of nowhere.” He then grabbed Yamada’s shoulder and stared him at his eyes intently. “And please. We need you now. Can I count on you this room?”   
  
Yamada gulped before nodded weakly.   
  
_Shit. I can’t give them more trouble. At least I have to protect myself_.   
  
Yabu turned around to face the others. “And the rest, let’s check the house thoroughly and meet here again in one hour to decide what to do.”   
  
“Yes, Sir~” Yuri, with smile was still plastered on his face walked away from the room, feeling all triumph on his side.   
  
Keito tapped Yamada’s shoulder and smiling slightly, assured him that everything’s fine.   
  
“Don’t worry, Yamada, nobody’s perfect. And there’s nothing to lose for being not perfect. At least we now know that you’re just a plain human being like us. It’s somehow calming us down.”   
  
Yamada looked up to see Hikaru smiled gently at him. He stunned at the sight because so far he knew the older was always joking around and made him annoyed almost every day with his jokes. But now, he found no joke in his smile. He didn’t find any mischievous sign or hidden plan on it. It’s just assuring feeling, made him sure that the older was right with his words. Made him sure that being not perfect isn’t a shame at all.   



	7. For A While ...

It was very rare that the room was empty. Usually there were always two or three of them who stayed in the room for who knows what. But now, the room was empty. No one’s there. Yabu sighed slightly, feeling the loneliness crept out to his heart. He sat down the couch and looked around.   
  
_It’s been like this since Yamada brought Takaki home wounded and unconscious. It’s been like this since we found out Yamada’s hidden face. What if …_   
  
Suddenly the train of his thought stopped. He was stunned at the touch on his shoulder but then smiled when the touch changed into a soft massage. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the soothing feeling suddenly rushed through the touch.   
  
“Why don’t you stop thinking for a while, Kou?”   
  
He smiled again.   
  
_Not only the touch but your voice is also calming. I knew this since long ago. But I always surprised at your ability for making everyone around you comfortable with your presence. I don’t know whether you realized it or not, but we prefer to choose you to stay with us in any condition. All of us. You're kind of a medicine for our loneliness._   
  
“Stop treating us like a baby. Yes, you’re the oldest but we stood equally in this house. Why don’t you stop thinking about everything all alone? Share with us what you’re thinking of so we could do something for you.”   
  
“There’s nothing to share, Kei. I don’t hide anything, I don’t think anything too. I just …, I’m just trying to imagine what would happen to us if … “  
  
There was a little pause. Yabu didn’t know whether he should continue to voice out his thought or not. He didn’t want to hurt anybody especially his best friend.   
  
“If? Don’t stop. I won’t hurt.” He told him like he could read his mind.   
  
“How can you always read my mind?”   
  
The latter was just smiling at the question. “We grew up together, Kou. Do you forget about that?”   
  
Yabu smiled again. He was indeed right.   
  
“I’m still waiting~”  
  
“I was just trying to imagine what would happen to us if we still have our family with us. Would we meet each other? Would we be friends like we’re now? Would you still be my best friend? Or would you even know about me?”   
  
The latter leaned and put his chin on his shoulder. “You’re thinking too much, Kou. We’re here now, being friend since forever, and I guess we will stick together forever except one day we decided to break our friendship apart and choose different path.”   
  
“I don’t think I can do that. I know I couldn’t.”   
  
“Then stop thinking stupid things like that, okay? We’re here, being there for each other. It’s not only me and you, but also the other eight persons in this house. We needed each other, and we tried hard to be there for each other. That’s enough for now. So you’d better stop thinking about thing which is not even existed.”   
  
Yabu smiled again.   
  
_How could you say something like that casually while I know that your heart cried the reverse? Why don’t you just say that you agree with me about what I’ve been thinking? That you actually wanted to be with your family? Why don’t you admit it?_   
  
“Because I’m being here is more than enough for me. This is my house, where I have my family with me. I have nine brothers. Isn’t it a very big family for you? I won’t feel lonely here because I have everyone here with me.”   
  
Yabu turned over and saw the latter was smiling widely. “Did I just say it loudly again, Kei?”   
  
Inoo walked over and sat down beside him. “Yes, you just did. And don’t worry. I’m okay with it. It’s you after all, who always say your thought loudly unconsciously. It’s classic.”   
  
A blush crept out of his cheek at the comment. “Sorry.”   
  
Inoo reached for his hand and tapped it slowly. “I told you it’s okay, didn’t I?”   
  
But the guilty feeling was still stubbornly stayed in his heart. He breathed heavily at his stupid thought which stupidly came out of his mouth loudly. He decided to talk no more. He didn’t want to say something stupid like he did again, so he just stayed silence, enjoying the comfortable feeling enveloping him with his best friend.   
  
It’s only for a moment because a few time later he felt a pair of eyes darted on them. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “Hikaru, come out.”   
  
And the said person popped his head out from the opened door. “Did you finish your lovey dovey moment because I have something to tell you?”   
  
Inoo threw Yabu his puppy eyes. “Can I kill him now?”   
  
“Aww, Inoo-Chan. I’m sorry for interrupting your sweet moment, but I do really have something important to tell you.”   
  
“You’d better stop before I lose my will to stop him from killing you, Hikaru. We’re not doing any lovey dovey moment as you just said because we’re not even a lover in the first place. We’re straight so far I remember, right, Inoo?”   
  
“Oh yes, sure we are~”  
  
“Oh, come on, Kou, you can call him Kei like you just did a while ago? Don’t act that formal in front of me. And you don’t have to hide your secret relationship from me because I have an incredible nose right here. I can smell your love for each other.”   
  
Inoo lost his smiles. He glared at Hikaru now. “Really, can I kill him now?”   
  
“We came from the same orphanage, Hikaru, just like you and Takaki. That’s why we’re close to each other, like you and Takaki too. There’s no romance between us. Is that clear enough for you?” Yabu massaged the bridge of his nose to calm himself. “And before I lose my control over my emotion, because I’m really not in a good mood right now, just say that important thing you wanted to say.”   
  
“Okay, enough for the joke.” Hikaru thew his hands up as a sign that he surrendered. “He woke up.”   
  
And both of the person inside the room stared at him as if they’ve heard the wrong news.   
  
Once again Hikaru lifted his hands to the air, demanded for their reaction, which soon answered by them rushed out of the room to get to the recovery ward immediately.   
  
And he really woke up. Some of them had already stood by his bed, waiting for the doctor to finish his examination.   
  
“Okay, everything’s okay, there’s nothing wrong. You just need more rest to heal. I guess, and I hope this is the last time I come here because that means you HAVE to take care of yourself, I mean all of you. Always be careful of what you’re doing, and try HARD to stay save. Do you understand?” The doctor said with emphasizing some words and looking at the boys intently, made them nodded unconsciously as the answer.   
  
“Are you sure he is, doctor? I mean, there’s nothing wrong with his … everything?”   
  
The doctor turned to Yamada and lifted his eyebrows, asked him in silent about his question.   
  
“I mean …, he’s been unconscious for almost a week.“   
  
“Are you starting to have a feeling of doubt on me, young man?” The doctor narrowed his eyes.   
  
“No. Of course not. I just … “  
  
“We’re just worried about him, doctor. And when you said he’s okay, just like that, after his unconscious state for almost a week, we just …, is he really okay?” Yabu cut him right away when he saw Yamada couldn’t find the right words to say.   
  
The doctor sighed heavily and started to clean up his equipments. “Yes. He is really okay. Just make him rest more. If he stubbornly wants to get out of this room, tie him on the bed or something.” He turned to Takaki. “And I allow everyone here to drug him if he insists to get out of this bed before he could grab the spoon without tremble even a slight. Do you understand that?”   
  
“Don’t worry, doctor. We will make him stay on the bed until we’re sure that he had healed completely.” Yabu answered the doctor before Takaki could give any complaint.   
  
“Okay. I take my leave then.”   
  
And everyone sighed heavily when the door of the room closed.   
  
“He’s sure scary, isn’t he?” Daiki stared at the door without blinking, and received nods from the others.   
  
The door opened suddenly and a tall figure walked in rush. “Guys, new assignment, oh, hi Takaki. Welcome back to the world. You have to tell me about your trip to the other world when we have time to stay together, only both of us, okay?”   
  
The said person smiled widely at the greeting.   
  
“For now, I’m really sorry because I need them now. But …” He turned to look at Yamada. “You can stay here.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“We only need three persons to do the observation. Usually we always include you in every observation but … looking at your condition now I don’t think the upper would be pleased at your presence at the meeting place …, so I guess ..., it is better for you to stay here.”   
  
“I’ve healed. I can go.” Yamada stood up from the window but stopped by the door when he preventing him with his hand.   
  
“I’m sorry. I mean it when I said you have to stay here. You’re not healed enough. You’re still limping in your walk. Even a blind could see you wounded and you could become a very easy target to be attacked. You don’t want to get shot again, do you? And please, don’t get into our way.”   
  
“What the …“   
  
“Wow wow wow!” Daiki rushed to stop them by putting himself between them when Yamada started to launch his punch. “Stop it already. Ryu, can you say it more polite? And I’m sorry but he’s right after all, Yamada. You’re still limped so you’d better stay as he said. And Yuri, don’t laugh. This isn’t a joke at all.”   
  
Yuri couldn’t stop his giggling. “I missed this kind of situation, you know.”   
  
Yabu patted Yuri’s head but said nothing. “Alright. I leave Takaki to all of you. Inoo, and Hikaru, come with me.”   
  
And the said persons walked out of the room, tailed by Ryutaro who stared at Inoo from behind. Suddenly he pulled Inoo’s hand, made the older stopped and turned to him.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Do you really want to go, Inoo? We can send someone else in your place.”   
  
Inoo looked at the younger. “Why should I be replaced by someone else? Is there anything wrong?”   
  
“Because you’re going to this place.”   
  
Ryutaro showed him a picture in his PDA and clearly saw the change in his face.   
  
“And you’re going to meet the president of this company.”   
  
His heart raced so sudden, made him almost suffocated with his own breath. He gritted his teeth and gripped his own hand hardly. He’s going to the place he badly wanted to go all his life, and the place he badly wanted to avoid in his life at the same time. He’s going to go to Inoo Corporation and met with the president named Inoo Masahiro.   



	8. The Meeting

Bleary, he stared at the tall building in front of him. He felt so small so sudden.   
  
_Is it really okay for me to go here? Am I really ready? ___  
  
“You just have to call Ryutaro and say no then he will send someone else as your substitute.”   
  
Inoo looked at Hikaru and gave him a hesitant smile.   
  
“I can do this.”   
  
A soft tap on his back made him straightened his body and moved forward confidently. It was a plain grey tall building from the outside but when they entered the front door, Hikaru whistled softly at the luxurious lobby welcomed them. The floor was made of marble with a bunch of expensive plants in the middle of the room with a fountain in the middle of it, which gave the impression of cool and comfortable. The security officers scattered in almost every corner of the room that give the safe impression of the place. A front desk clerk greeted them right away with smile plastered on her face.   
  
“Can I help you, Sir?”   
  
“We have an appointment with Mr. Inoo Masahiro.”   
  
“Can I see your ID, please?”   
  
The three of them gave their ID right away without any complaint. She took a glance to Inoo when she read his ID but no more than that. She checked the schedule before looked back to them.   
  
“He’s waiting for you in his office. One of our guard will take you there. Enjoy your staying here, Sirs.” She gave a sign to one of the guard who immediately took over the task without word.   
  
The long journey to the top floor of the building felt so long. No one spoke or even made useless move. Even Hikaru, who usually played around was stood silent in his place. They just took a glance at each other when finally the elevator stopped and they were welcomed once again with a stunning sight. It was another luxurious lobby but smaller than before, but it was enough for Hikaru to once again whistled softly at the sight.   
  
The secretary stood up right away when they walked over and took them to the only room in that floor.   
  
“They’re here, Sir.”   
  
“Let them in.”   
  
She opened the door widely, signaled them to come in before closed it again, left them alone with the president of the company.   
  
And the first reaction of the old man was exactly the same as what they had imagined when they read his name. They clearly saw a little lag time where the president could only stood with almost widened eyes while staring at the smiley Inoo who greeted him as polite as possible.   
  
“Good day, Mr. Inoo. Let’s just get to the point. Would you explain us your situation, please? So we could think fast about what we should do immediately.”   
  
The voice was soft but the tone was full of the demand that required no other than a brief explanation from the president of the company.   
  
The old man almost gaped at his soft voice, made him turned to face Yabu before decided to sit back to his chair. He gulped and tried hard to not take any more glance to the familiar face behind the speaker. “My son was kidnapped. He left the house this morning at seven but never got to this building. I’ve tried to call him many times but failed. He didn’t pick his phone.”   
  
“Maybe he’s just taking a break from his boring routines?” Hikaru cut him right away.   
  
“He is a perfectionist. He hates his routine being interrupted by something unnecessary. He always arrives at his office exactly at eight, checking all of his schedules for the day, and always makes sure that everything is moving like it used to be. He hates surprises.”   
  
_Is that the reason why he left us? Are we considered as a surprise of his life?_  
  
“Routine is boring, you know. Perhaps he finally realized it and stopped somewhere and decided to ignore your calls.” Inoo stared at a painting hanged on the wall. He tried hard to read the meaning of the abstract paint and smiled slightly when he found it. “Why don’t you try to be a positive? What if he hadn’t been kidnapped? Why don’t you try to think that he is just stopping somewhere in town, suddenly had the urge to enter one of the coffee shop, having a cup of hot cappuccino, and spending his times for nothing for just one day? He is just a human being, isn’t he? Every normal human being needs time to stop to just take a deep breath before step back to this stupid life.” He then turned to the old man, made him stunned at his sharp words.   
  
“He’s right, Sir.” Hikaru tried to back him up. He didn’t know but he somehow understood what Inoo tried to say. He could read the true meaning of his words. “Why don’t you just try to let him go for this day? Stop calling him and let him be free to enjoy this beautiful life. He will call you back soon when he felt it’s enough for him to waste his life for nothing.”   
  
Yabu stared intently to the old man and he could see clearly the change on his face since Inoo voiced out his mind. It was only a slight regret but enough for him to know that his best friend had hit the right part of him.   
  
“His driver was found died with a shot between his eyes, and his body was found by the river one hour ago.”   
  
The three young men looked intently to the old man.   
  
“Okay. I guess we should sweep his office.”   
  
Right after Yabu said his words the old man stood up and walked out of the room followed by them.   
  
It was a boringly neat office, with a white blank wall with only a clock hanged on the wall. It’s different with the previous room which gave them the feeling of warm yet made them feeling intimidated at the same time. A plain office of a president of a company they found everywhere. But this room was blank. Nothing was being felt from it. Yabu and Hikaru took a glance every now and then but found nothing in his friend. He was as calm as he always was, like there’s nothing happened. He was enjoying his rummaging of the office, slightly humming a soft song while checking the data in the computer on one table they believed as the table of the president’s son.   
  
“Can I have his schedule?” Yabu turned to the old man who stood by the door, who nodded immediately before gave a sign to one of his staff to give what Yabu wanted.   
  
“He had the appointment with the director of World Wide Company this afternoon. It’s about the supply of hardware for their new game production.”   
  
Yabu took the PAD from the staff and smiled widely. “I can read it, so would you please leave us alone in this room, sir?”   
  
The staff looked at the old man and left after receiving a sign from him. He then looked at Yabu with a high hope clearly shown in his eyes. “I’ll be in my office, and please inform me anything you find.”   
  
Yabu just smiled as the answer and the old man could only close the door right away when he realized that his presence was no longer wanted.   
  
“World Wide Company, huh? Why I smell something fishy?” Hikaru whistled softly.   
  
“Not more than a month ago the daughter of the president of World Wide Company was hid to our home because they received a threat that she would be killed, and resulted one of us wounded badly on the way of chasing the suspects. And I guess we’re wrong for deciding that it’s over. They changed the target because they couldn’t find the girl. Do you read the sign?”   
  
“I believe this is only a stupid competition to take one of the companies down.” Inoo looked up to his friends and smiled widely. “And I guess I found a clue~”   
  
Both of his friends rushed to him and looked at monitor.   
  
“A black mail.” Yabu mumbled behind him.   
  
“Not just one~” Inoo showed them all the list of the blackmails he found in the computer and it was enough for them to take a conclusion that they would face the same enemy as they faced few weeks ago.   
  
“Call Ryu and tell him to not let the girl out of his sight. She’s still in danger.” Yabu looked at Hikaru who fished his phone even before the older finished his words.   
  
“I believe she herself doesn’t want to leave the house yet. Not until she is assured that Takaki had healed completely.” He mumbled slowly but loud enough to make his friends heard him. But he did what Yabu said to him. “Oh, hi Ryu-Chan. Keep the girl safe, okay?”   
  
_“Any relation to the new assignment?”_  
  
“She’s just too beautiful to get kidnapped by stupid people out there. Beside~, our Takaki will do anything to save the girl from any harm even if he should give his soul to the devil, then it will lead Yamada to do everything too to save Takaki. So please, keep her safe.”   
  
_“Understood, Sir~”_  
  
He turned to his friends and lifted his hand to the air. “The first step is done. What’s next?”   
  
They looked at each other and smirked.   
  
“Let’s go back to the president.”   
  
Together they went back to the president’s office. On the way, Yabu held Inoo’s arm, made him turned over to face him.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Is it okay for you to just keep silence like that? Don’t you want to ask anything? You do realize that he knew you.”   
  
The latter could only smile and started to walk again. “I won’t start it.”  
  
Hikaru snorted and received a whack from Inoo who walked behind him.   
  
“Don’t act so selfish, Inoo-Chan. We should grab our happiness with our own strength. It wouldn’t come voluntarily to you. You should reach it by yourself.”   
  
“Shut up!” Inoo hissed softly. “Same word goes to you.”   
  
And once again, Yabu could only shake his head seeing the daily quarrel of them. He sighed to erase his smile on his lip before opened the door to the president’s office. The old man immediately stood up from his chair when they entered his room.   
  
“How’s it?”   
  
“Your son had received blackmails many times lately but it seems he ignored them all.”   
  
The old man gaped at the news.   
  
“I want you to answer my question honestly, Sir. Do you have any enemy? I mean, who will receive a huge damage if your business agreement with World Wide Company reached the deal?”   
  
The old man fell to deep thought but then he shook his head. “I don’t know. There are many companies, of course, but I don’t think any of them will receive any huge damage from our agreement.”   
  
“Change question.” Hikaru stated before Yabu could ask him more. “Who will receive a huge benefit if your agreement doesn’t reach the deal?”   
  
The old man turned to him and then his body straightened, signaling that he had the answer. “EXO Incorporation. They sell hardware for robotic toys.”   
  
The three of them smirked at each other.   
  
“We have one name, then~”  
  
“Are they the one who kidnapped my son?”   
  
“Wow, wow, wow. Take it easy, old man. We didn’t say that. At least we have a clue. So let us take care for the rest, okay. You just take care of your company so it won’t fall down just because of this incident.”   
  
The old man sighed heavily. “Please. Save him. He means everything to me.”   
  
Hikaru stepped forward and tapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Just leave everything to us, okay.”   
  
They were just opened the door when he called them again.   
  
“Excuse me … “  
  
They turned over again but the old man was only staring intently to Inoo.   
  
“Can we talk? Please?”   



	9. I'm Sorry

Inoo blinked his eyes and looked at his friends who were only nodded in agreement, slightly gave him a good luck look and left him alone in the room with the old man. He closed the door and turned to the old man. “Yes, Sir?”   
  
“May I know your name?”   
  
Inoo lifted his eyebrows and looked at the old man while staring him right in his eyes. “I’m Inoo Keitaro, Sir.”   
  
The old man held his breath for a second before released it slowly. “Are you by any chance the son of Kazama Rie?”   
  
And Inoo smiled with the question. “Yes, Sir. How do you know my mother?”   
  
“I … I met her once. She was… pretty …, and a nice girl.”   
  
“She was, Sir.”   
  
“Can I meet her? Where do you live? I have something to talk to her.”   
  
“She died fifteen years ago, Sir.”   
  
And the old man could only gape at the news. He hobbled while turning away from Inoo and tried to find a hold when Inoo reached him and helped him to sit.   
  
“Are you okay, Sir? Should I call your staff?”   
  
The old man held his arm to stop him. “I’m fine. Please, stay here for a while.”   
  
Inoo caressed his back, tried to soothe him so he could breathe normally.   
  
“Should I take you something?”   
  
“No. I’m fine. Just wait a minute, please. I’ll be fine.”   
  
Inoo sat still in his place, staring intently to the old man who was still trying to bring his calm back to him.   
  
_What are you going to say to me now? Knowing that she died?_  
  
It was as if the old man could hear what Inoo had thought in his mind, he turned to Inoo with soft stare. “Would you forgive me, please?”   
  
Inoo blinked his eyes many times before smiled. “Excuse me? Did you do something wrong to me?”   
  
_Are you going to confess now?_  
  
“Yes. I did something awful in the past, which made you live in sorrow.”   
  
“Eh?”   
  
“I knew your mother. She was a nice girl but I was blinded with my status. I should’ve accepted you. I didn’t see the happiness she brought. I …” He lost his words. Tears rolled down on his cheeks, melted Inoo, and made him decide to not wait the old man to confess everything.   
  
“Sir, please. Listen to me.”   
  
The old man lifted his head at looked back at Inoo.   
  
“I don’t know what you have done to me or my mother. But trust me, I live my life happily. I found friends who love me as the way I am. They never ask me who I was, never interrogate me about my past. We’re just accepting each other the way we are. I am happy with my life.”   
  
The old man stared at him with full of regret shown in his eyes.   
  
_I had always managed to read all the circumstances so I could build this company to be as big as now, but I failed to read over the happiness and reject it for granted. I didn’t know that I was that stupid. I should’ve welcomed her with all honor, I should’ve given you all the happiness in your life. You have grown into an awesome young man. I could feel your warmth even when you just touch me once._  
  
“Sir?”   
  
“You have the same aura with her.”   
  
Inoo looked at the old man in silent before smiled again. “Her friends said that too. I don’t know about it, though.”   
  
“Can I call you Keitaro?”   
  
“Just Kei, please. Everyone calls me that way.”   
  
The old man smiled. He felt light so sudden. A heavy load which he carried along his life felt being lifted from his shoulder. It was because of the warmth he felt from the young man in front of him. And he was more than glad because he liked it or not, the young man carried his name. He didn’t want to ask more than that. It’s okay if he didn’t want to admit him as his grandfather as long as he will to carry his name. It was more than enough.   
  
_Kazama Rie. You’ve given him my name. This proved that you were right, that you’ve been carried my son’s child. I’m sorry for doubting you. If this is your punishment for us, then I’m more than glad to accept is as the most beautiful gift in my life._  
  
“Is there anything else you want to talk, Sir? Because I have to get back to my friends, to save your son.”   
  
“Oh?” He almost gaped at the question. He forgot totally about the incident. “Yes. Sure. I’m sorry. You may leave. I …, don’t have anything else to talk to you.”   
  
“I take my leave, then. And I’ll tell your secretary outside to come in to check your condition.”   
  
“Yes, thank you. Please, stay safe.”   
  
“I will, Sir.”   
  
“But …“  
  
Inoo, who was just wanted to walk out of the room stopped and turned over to the old man again. “Yes, Sir?” A part of his heart was expected that he would say something like would you want to stay with me? Or do you wish to call me grandfather? But he knew that it was nearly impossible. He knew that he had expected too much. He asked for his forgiveness was more than enough. He confessed that he had done mistakes to them years ago was more than enough. He shouldn’t ask more than that.   
  
_But I can hope, can’t I? I’ve dreaming for years that one day if I meet my father and his family, I will be able to convince them that I am their lost family. I’m carrying their name. I have hoped for years that by that fact I would be accepted easily by them, as mom said so many times before. I looked exactly like my mother. At least that would be my main power to convince them. And I have been told that I have my father’s brain. So I guess, it is okay for me to expect something, isn’t it?_  
  
A long pause made both of them looked at each other nervously. If Inoo could hide it with his smile, the old man couldn’t hide it perfectly. He wanted to say something but many times cancelled it and looked away.   
  
“Yes, sir?” Inoo tried to ask him again. He didn’t want to guess anything from him. He wanted to hear him directly.   
  
“Would you …, would you mind to … come here again next time? … even when you don’t have anything to do with us? Just … to visit me? Or …, something else? No work related?”   
  
Inoo slightly let his breath out heavily. He smiled and nodded. “Of course, Sir. I’ll do it gladly.”   
  
_Okay. Take it easy. Step by step, Kei. Don’t be too hasty. Nice progress._  
  
And he walked out the room with a smile tugged on his lip.   
  
It was when he waited for the elevator to come when some people rushed over from the stairs and ran to the door he’d been left. He stood in silence to see what had happened when suddenly the door from the president’s office opened and the old man was carried by a wheel chair to his direction.   
  
“Move out!”   
  
He moved from the way immediately to give them a room but then his eyes widened when he saw the old man was paled. Clearly he saw he tried to hold a pain in his chest.   
  
“Let … him … “  
  
A guard pulled him to the elevator and he couldn’t refuse. He stood beside the wheelchair, gripped his hand tightly when he grabbed him.   
  
“It’s okay. You can make it. Don’t worry.”   
  
The old man closed his eyes and nodded. He felt ease so sudden with the words. The smile cured him and lifted the pain. He didn’t feel it anymore when finally they got to the chopper.   
  
_Please, don’t take him now. I just found him. He was just claiming me. Please._  
  
Inoo prayed non-stop along the flight to the hospital. He gripped the hand of the old man tightly along the way, told him that he was always there and would never leave him. He didn’t even let it go even when they entered the emergency room. If not because of one of the guard pulled him to stay out of the room, he would still hold the old man tightly.   
  
“Let the doctors take over, sir. He is in the right hands now.”   
  
He looked at the guard awkwardly, like he was just hearing a strange language he didn’t know. His mind was trying hard to understand what he was just saying but failed. He was too worried with the old man so he stood in front of the glass wall, looking intently at the doctors worked out of his grandfather.   
  
_My grandfather. Am I worth to call him that? I made him got a heart attack right after I met him. Is it okay for me to stay here? He asked me to stay but is it really okay?_  
  
Feeling guilty suddenly fulfilled him.   
  
_I shouldn’t show up. I should say no to Ryu when he asked me. I should tell him that I couldn’t do this. I shouldn’t even accept the project. I should let someone else substitutes me._  
  
Inoo turned to walk away but a hand stopped him.   
  
“He wanted you to stay, sir. So please, stay. At least wait until he regained his consciousness again. Would you?”   
  
Inoo stared at the guard blankly.   
  
“Honestly we’ve been searched for you for years but found no clue. And now you appeared in front of us, safe and sound. And he knew it’s you. He is too happy that you finally willing to meet him that’s why he got a heart attack. But trust me. He is strong despite of his weak appearance. He will make it. He won’t lose that easy. So would you stay here for a while? To wait for him to be awake?”   
  
Inoo lost his words.   
  
_So he had tried to look for me. He had tried to look for us._  
  
He gulped before decided to sit and settled himself on the chair one of the guard brought to him. It was really weird for all the services he received so sudden. It was weird when suddenly all of the guards paid their attention on him, tried to prevent anything to harm him. It was weird when usually he was the one who in charge to guard, and now he was guarded by someone else. Not just one guard, but there were four of them, who stood not far from him.   
  
“And trust me again that your friends were strong enough to save your father from the kidnapping. That’s why we called you at the first place to save him. So please, stay.”   
  
He sighed heavily and tried t not think anything aside of the old man who was fighting for his life inside the room in front of him. He was right. They were too strong to be knocked down just like that. He didn’t want to boast but he was indeed right. But then the picture of Yamada brought Takaki home unconscious flashed in his mind. He stiffened at the memory. He suddenly fished his phone and punched a certain number.   
  
“Yes, Inoo-Chan?”   
  
“Who’s going with you?”   
  
“Mm, there’s Yabu, Daiki, Keito, Yuri, and Yuto with me. It felt wasn’t complete because we left Yamada and Takaki but don’t worry, the backup troop is on their way in case we couldn’t handle this.”   
  
“Who?”   
  
“The circus boys.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“Just stay where you are now Inoo-Chan and don’t worry. We will come back alive, save, and sound.”   
  
And the connection was cut off. He tried to call him back but surrendered when the latter didn’t pick up. He then tried to call another number.   
  
“Yes, Inoo?”   
  
“Who are these circus boys?”   
  
“Who said that?”   
  
“That stupid Hikaru.”   
  
He heard a loud laugh from Ryutaro.   
  
“It’s ABC-Z. Don’t worry. They’re very good. And we have the wildest troop here to guard us while they’re away. Takaki is playing card with them and Yamada is glaring at me from the corner of the room and ready to kill me any time because I called them. So just stay and enjoy everything you do now Inoo-Chan. You don’t have to think too much about us. Everything is under control. They will come home safely. Trust me. You can kill me if there is even one scratch you found on their body.”   
  
And once again the connection was cut off and he could only sigh heavily. He looked back to the room and his eyes widened when he saw the commotion inside the room when the line in the vital signs monitor went flat.   



	10. I'm Home

A little chaos in the room looked like a slow motion in his eyes. He stood still in front of the glass wall, watching all the efforts they made to bring the old man back to live. He lost his words and could only gulp many times. He touched the wall, right where he saw the old man’s face.   
  
_Please, don’t give up. We just met. Don’t give up now. I promise I will visit you as many as you want but please hang on. Don’t give up._  
  
He knew it’s really impossible but he caressed the glass wall as he touched his face while praying nonstop in his heart, hoping for the best for him, giving him courage to not lose to his fate.   
  
It was totally like a miracle when he saw the monitor suddenly voiced a steady beep again. It was weak but steady. Unconsciously tears rolled down his cheek. He bit his lip as it tugged a smile. A soft tap on his back made him turned over and he found very wide smiles from the guards, made him nodded gratefully.   
  
“I’ve told you that he will survive.”   
  
Inoo smiled at him but said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. He wiped his tears slightly and looked back to the room.   
  
_Thank you. Thank you for giving me a chance to see you again. Thank you for surviving. Thank you for not giving up._  
  
Hasty steps echoed in the silent corridor stole his attention few times later as he felt the tension rose up between the guards. He turned over to the source of the steps and met with the eyes of the familiar look, followed by a woman and a young girl. His body stiffened as they slowed down their pace and stopped just few feet from him. He could clearly see the surprised expression which drawn on the adults’ face.   
  
“Rie … “  
  
One word slipped out from the man’s lips and he gulped as the memories rushed over his mind. A picture of a slender figure with a wavy black hair smiled widely in his memory.   
  
Inoo bowed respectfully at the man because he didn’t know what to do.   
  
_Oh my God. What should I do? He has his own family now. I can’t disturb them now._  
  
He decided to walk away from them, tried to suppress his own pain and let them be when a hand reached his arm and made him turned over to receive a warm smile from the woman who then gripped his hand tightly.   
  
“Please …, stay.”   
  
Inoo really lost his words now. He didn’t know what to do so he just nodded at the request.   
  
The woman smiled at him again before turned to the girl and waved at her. “Aki, let’s get a cup of coffee for dad, okay?”   
  
The girl looked at him with a suspicious look but obediently followed her mother to walk away from them. And he couldn’t stop the guards too from leaving silently. He rooted in his place as the man approached him.   
  
“You look exactly like her.” His voice was trembling as he touched Inoo’s face. “Why were you hiding from us? We’ve tried to search you badly. I’ve tried to search you so many times but failed. It seemed you’ve lost in the wind. Where have you been?”   
  
“I … I … “  
  
The man suddenly hugged him tightly as the tears fell down uncontrollably.   
  
Inoo couldn’t think. He didn’t know whether he should hug him back or not. He didn’t know what to do. So many feelings piled on his mind. The feeling of being betrayed, anger, compassion, confuse, forgiveness, they mingled together in his mind, made him suffocated with all of those feeling.   
  
“I … “  
  
The man released him and caressed his arms. “You don’t have to say anything. I know you mad at me. And I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but please ..., let me touch you. Make me assured that I’ve found you. Make me assured that I’m not dreaming. That you are real. That this isn’t only my imagination.”   
  
Inoo looked at the man with no words. He just stood silently in his place when the man touched every part of him gently.   
  
“How many years ..., I should’ve watched you growing, every step you took, every progress you made. I should’ve been there to watch you growing up.” His hand stopped at Inoo’s chest.   
  
Inoo stunned when he suddenly remember something. He reached the man’s hand from his chest and took out something behind his shirt. An old watch.   
  
“Mom wanted me to give you this.” Inoo lend him an old watch. “She said this is yours.”   
  
The man stunned in his place. His hand slightly trembled while holding the watch. Many memories flashed on his mind so sudden, made his tears fell uncontrollably once again. He tried to prevent his sob but failed.   
  
Inoo gritted his teeth and blinked many times, tried to prevent his tears which were ready to fall.   
  
_I can’t cry. Please. I shouldn’t cry. Not here. Not in front of him. Please._  
  
He looked up to the white ceiling. It’s blank. He then averted his eyes to the large window and saw the grey sky. It’s no more blue sky lately. It was grey almost every day. And soon, it would become white and no sun. He breathed heavily, let all of the heavy feelings in his heart out together with the breath.   
  
“Why don’t you keep it?”   
  
Inoo looked at the man and chuckled slightly. “I’ve had enough bring it around with me all these times. It needs to get back to its owner.”   
  
“I had given this to your mother. I can’t receive this.”   
  
Inoo smiled. “But the person you gave this died long time ago.”   
  
The man stunned with slightly widened eyes. “What?”   
  
“Yes. But before died, she made me promise to give that watch to the owner, and I believe it’s you, Sir.”   
  
“Then this is the important thing left by your mother, right? Why don’t you keep this? Please?”   
  
“I don’t think I need it, Sir. I don’t need any watch because my time had stopped when mom died.”   
  
The man gaped at the answer. He felt his heart slashed.   
  
“And ..., and I don’t need it as a memorial thing from her because every second memory of me with her had rooted in my brain. I still remember clearly how many times she smiled just to give me comfort, how many times she laughed just to assure me that she’s fine. I don’t need anything else to remind me of her, Sir.”   
  
He smiled genuinely at the end of his sentences.   
  
The man lost his words. The smile, it reminded him of the woman he loved once. A sudden thought struck him like a thunder in his mind.   
  
“Why don’t you move in with me? Let’s pay all our lost times to be together starting now. It isn’t too late, right? To start everything from the very beginning?”   
  
Once again, Inoo just smiled. “I have my own family now, Sir.”   
  
The man gaped once again. The words stung him deeply. He looked at Inoo intently, tried to find any sign of lying but nothing. He didn’t find any. Inoo looked genuine in his words. His face showed him that he said the truth. He didn’t look like he’s hiding something. He looked happy with his current life. But he didn’t want to lose. He had searched him for years. And when he found him now, when the person he tried to find was standing right in front of him, he didn’t want to lose him again. So he sighed heavily and gripped his hand.   
  
“But I’m your father.”   
  
Inoo looked back to the man. His heart cheered loudly.   
  
_That’s what I really want to hear from you. The only thing I wanted to hear from you. I don’t need anything else. Finally you claim me as your son. Finally you claim yourself as my father. Do you hear that, Mom? He said it. He just said it in front of me. I made him said it clearly._  
  
“I know. But I’m sorry, Sir. I’ve told you that I have my own family now. I have a home to come back. A home which full of warmth. A home which full of the people who love me sincerely from the bottom of their heart. A home which gives me comfort in any single time of my life. And that home will be the only place I go when I think it’s enough for me to play around outside.”   
  
Inoo smiled widely when he finished his words. He didn’t know why but he felt his heart so light. The picture of the place he called home appeared suddenly in his mind. The picture of his friends came and went in his mind, as calling him to go back home immediately.   
  
“I have nine brothers who were waiting for me to go home so I guess it’s better for me to go now because they will worry to death if I don’t come home immediately. They will think I’m gotten into trouble or something if I stay longer than now. So, take care of yourself, Sir. Good bye.”   
  
“Wait.” The man grabbed his hand immediately. ”At least give me your name. You didn’t tell me your name.”   
  
“It’s Kei, Sir.”   
  
Once again Inoo bowed at him and walked away.   
  
“Kei!”   
  
Inoo stopped and turned over to see the man once again. “Yes, Sir?”   
  
“Would you … forgive me?”   
  
Once again Inoo just smiled widely. “I had forgiven you since the very start, Sir. Don’t worry. Have a nice life.”   
  
And with that he walked away from the man who was still staring at him in silence.   
  


~~~~

  
He opened the door to be welcomed with the warm atmosphere. He smiled as he entered the building and slightly bit his lip at the sound of bickering far away, which suddenly he missed a lot. He walked slowly but firm through the corridor to the source of the sound which he believed from the kitchen.  
  
It was the smell of a chicken soup welcomed him right away when he opened the door, followed by nine faces which suddenly turned to him.  
  
“Welcome home, Kei.”  
  
And those smiles of them were enough to erase all of his fatigues of fighting hard with himself all day. He smiled widely and stepped forward.  
  
“I’m home.”  



	11. The Memory

He looked around the living room and found everybody was doing the same thing as always. Yuri and Yuto were playing scrabble on the table, Yabu was reading a newspaper, Keito and Inoo were in a deep talking on the sofa which he really didn’t want to know about what. Hikaru was playing darts alone in one of the chair, with a cup of hot coffee on the table near him, and Daiki looked very busy in the kitchen. He counted again and found out that someone was missing.   
  
“He’s not here~”  
  
He turned to see Hikaru looked at him while sipping his coffee.   
  
He walked over and sat beside him. “New assignment? We were just came back yesterday. Should he go alone?”   
  
With the answer, everybody stopped whatever they’re doing and turned to him.   
  
“What?” He looked back at them, feeling weird with their stares.   
  
“Don’t you remember what date is today?” Yabu pointed at the calendar on the wall behind him.   
  
Yamada turned around and looked at the thing the oldest pointed at. The calendar showed it was January 24th. His eyes suddenly widened when a realization struck him. He was stunned in his place. He lost his words.   
  
“Ryosuke?”   
  
Hesitantly, he turned over to be faced with a genuine smile from the shortest of them. “He always took his day off in this day. He didn’t care if we’re in an urgent condition or even one of us was standing at the edge of a steep ravine, he would still take his day off on this day.”   
  
“And he always went to the same place this day. Every year.” Hikaru turned to where another person was cooking. “Oi, Daiki! Have you finished preparing the food?”   
  
“It’s almost done!”   
  
“Where are you going?” Yamada looked at the older with curiosity which suddenly rose in his heart.   
  
Daiki came and put a box on the table.“Alright! This is it! Don’t forget to make him eat all of this.”   
  
“Yes, Sir.”   
  
“Hikaru?”   
  
Hikaru turned to Yamada who was still waiting for his answer. “Today, in that place, he will only sit under the fifth tree near the fountain beside the ferries-wheel area. He won’t move and will only stare blankly with no focus all day and will only move when the sun had already set in the west so I’m going to feed him. Wanna come?”   
  
Yamada stunned in his place and not moving for a while. Not even when Yuto touched his arm.   
  
“It’s okay if you’re not ready. I can’t handle two dumbasses at once anyway. I’m leaving, guys!”   
  
“Wait!”   
  
Hikaru stopped right in front of the kitchen door and turned over. He raised his eyebrows when Yamada didn’t sayanything. Clearly he saw him confused about what he was going to say.   
  
“I ... I ... “  
  
A jacket dropped on his shoulder made him turned around to see Yabu beamed a wide smile at him. “You can’t run away all your life. Face it, then you will feel light all your life.”   
  
Yamada gulped and turned to Hikaru who was still waiting for him by the door.   
  
“Come on! Do you want to come or not! I don’t want to be held any longer because he maybe didn’t bring his jacket. We know that he couldn’t hold the cold and I don’t want him to be frozen in that place.”   
  
A soft push on his back made him moved forward. Once again he looked back to the rest and received assuring smiles from them, made him decided to follow Hikaru who had already disappeared.   
  
Hikaru could read the uneasiness in every move Yamada made along the way but he just let him be. He had a bigger thing to be worried, and it’s Takaki sat silently in his usual place to reminiscence his bad memory and only wore his casual clothes. So many times he looked at his watch to count the time and cursed under his breath to the train for not moving faster.   
  
Yamada himself could only bit his lips while trying hard to calm his heart beat. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to suppress the picture of bloody figures walked over to him deep inside his heart. And he was jolted in surprise when Hikaru nudged at him, told him that they had arrived. Hesitantly he walked out the train and followed where the older led him.   
  
He stopped for a moment at the gate of the park, made Hikaru turned over and grabbed his arm to follow him.   
  
And he was stunned at the sight in front of him. He almost didn’t believe with his own eyes but all he saw was a real.   
  
There’s no wide smile, no weird laughter, no stupid jokes, and no dumb look. His stare was totally blank like Hikaru told him before. He only sat silently, with his shoulder slumped, and no focus. He didn’t even move. Not even a single tear, like he always had every time he reminiscenced this day. He was like a broken doll, which was thrown away by its owner. His eyelids which sometimes closed and opened again slowly like hoping that he was only dreaming indicated that he was a life human being.   
  
Yamada gulped before walked over slowly. He sat right in front of him, hoped the older would be distracted from his own world but failed.   
  
“Was he always like this?” His voice was stuck in his throat, came out of his mouth like a crack.   
  
“Yep. Since I knew him years ago he was always like this.”   
  
Again, Yamada could only gulp. All he was thinking about the older all these times vaporized suddenly in the air. At one time he thought he was a dumb who always smiles and had no sad feeling left inside him. Another time, when they’re on duty, he thougth the older was a cold hearted person who could shot people with a smirk in the corner of his lips. He thought him that he had forgotten totally about the incident. He thought that he had moved on. He thought that he was the only one left with that memory. He thought he was the only one left suffered because of the incident.   
  
Now he knew he was wrong. He was totally wrong. Takaki was the same as him, still had the wound in his heart.   
  
What made them different was that the older could suppress all of his feeling deeply and got over of that bad memory.   
  
But him?   
  
He was still living in that anger, which he couldn’t suppress it deep down his heart. The anger which was always suffocated him and made him couldn’t move on. He was still drowning into his madness about losing his important persons. He sighed heavily and looked away.   
  
He always thought that God wasn’t fair to him for leaving him drowning alone into the memory but he guessed he was wrong. It was all his own fault, for not moving on, for not giving himself a chance to live this life without always looking back to the memory.   
  
Yamada furrowed his forehead. He turned around to see Takaki again.   
  
_Isn’t it the same? Looking at him now, it means he doesn’t move on too._  
  
“He made a progress every year.” Hikaru stood up and looked away. “He was awful the first time I found him here years ago. Curled up in a ball, tears streaming down his cheek and refused to be touched. But now look at him. There’s still no word but at least he could sit straightly. He took a step in every progress and honestly I’m more than glad seeing him now. This even better than last year.”   
  
He turned to see Yamada again.   
  
“I’ll get some coffee. Do you want it too?”   
  
Yamada shook his head weakly. He didn’t need any distraction right now even if it’s just a cup of coffee. He looked at Hikaru silently who shrugged before leaving them alone.   
  
He sat beside Takaki and looked at the same direction as the older.   
  
“I still can hear the sound of the gunshot that day. It echoed in my head on and on almost every time, made me get nightmares almost every night, if that what you wanted to know.”   
  
Yamada widened his eyes and suddenly turned over to the older. His stare was still blank and he could clearly see a sad expression on his face.   
  
“I stood here, right in the place I’m sitting now, staring in fear at my father who was holding my brother tightly in his embrace with blood shedding from his head. I couldn’t say anything. I wanted to scream but nothing came out of my mouth. I lost my voice, and rooted to this place. He stared at me with his widened eyes. A word formed on his lips but before he could say it loudly, he fell to the ground.”   
  
Takaki gulped lightly and bit his lip to prevent his tears.   
  
“I was still trying to digest what he tried to tell me when I felt my shirt was being pulled. I turned around to see my mother who was holding my sisters. Their condition was not different from my father. Blood sheding all over their bodies. Her eyes begged me and her lips formed the same word as my father.”   
  
Takaki sighed heavily.   
  
“There, I finally understood what they tried to tell me. I understood what she tried to tell me. She told me to run. I shook my head because I wanted to hold her badly but she kept telling me to run. She said nothing but that word. She told me on and on until I couldn’t do anything than do what she wanted. So I ran. I ran away from this place. I didn’t see anything. My sight was blurry. I didn’t care. I just ran and ran. And all I kew after that was that I’ve woken up in an orphanage. And it was almost three months after that day.”   
  
Yamada gulped at the story. Somehow he could picture the story clearly. It was like a movie in his eyes and he was watching it live.   
  
“Where were you that day?”   
  
He knew Takaki would ask that question in the end but he didn’t know whether he should tell him or not. He only gulped and no voice came out of his mouth. He looked at Takaki who was now looking back at him. No more blank stare. There’s a light in his eyes and he was like being hypnotized.   
  
“In the other side of this place.” He gulped again. His voice was trembling. “Near the ice cream stall.”   
  
Takaki stood up and extended his hand. “It’s been years. We should get over it.”   
  
Yamada breathed heavily. He gulped again while looking at the tempted hand in front of him. Hesitantly he reached over the hand and obediently folowed where Takaki led him. His grip became harder as they moved closer to the place. His was almost panting hard and his tears suddenly fell to his cheek when they reached.   
  
“I ... can’t ..., please ... “  
  
But Takaki didn’t let him go. He led him slowly to the place he had told and stopped when he felt Yamada gripped his hand tightly like it would break. He turned over to the younger and saw the tears.   
  
“Yes you can. Get over it. We need to move on.”   
  
The picture of his family fell one by one to the ground blodily flashed once again like a slow motion in front of him. He panted heavily and felt it’s difficult to breath. But Takaki held him tightly so he could stand still in his place.   
  
“Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.”   
  
He did exactly like the older told him and few times later he felt at ease.   
  
Just few feet from the place, Hikaru watched them in silence.   
  
_So it’s really a good thing that I overed Yamada to come over. Not just Yuya, but he could also move on. Not much but this is more than better. Much, much better._  
  
He smiled at both of them and decided to leave them again.   



	12. One Step Ahead

Takaki closed his opened jacket. A cold crawled on his skin and he almost shivered. Yamada looked at him and gave him his scarf which greatfully he received.   
  
“What are you doing here?”   
  
Yamada breathed heavily. He rubbed his hand to each other and looked at the older when he felt his scarf was circling his neck again, just to receive a light smile from him while pointing at his own neck which was still wearing the scarf. He blinked silently at the fact that they were sharing the scarf, but then ignored it when he saw Takaki was enjoying it and didn’t look awkward at all. He looked at his own hand and hesitated for a while before finally decided to tell him.   
  
“Hikaru offered me to come with him.”   
  
Takaki turned to see the younger before looked around to find Hikaru.   
  
“He said he wanted to get a cup of coffee.”   
  
Takaki chuckled lightly.   
  
_You just want us to have a time to talk, don’t you, Hikaru?_  
  
“Hikaru said that ..., you came here every year on this day ... and ...”   
  
“I don’t want to forget about it, actually. I want to always remember it. This is a sacred day for me and I want to memorize everything of this day until the tiniest thing. I don’t want to forget every single memory of the day.”   
  
“Doesn’t it hurt you more?”   
  
Takaki smiled bitterly. He looked up to the top of the ferries-wheel in front of them and breathed heavily. “I know. At first I came here with the hope that maybe I could leap the time to go back to the past so I could prevent them from the shooting. But lately, I change my intention. It’s been years and I can’t stand still in this place without doing anything. My time won’t move correctly if I don’t decide. I will always look back to that time if I don’t decide to move on.”   
  
_It is an acceptance._  
  
Silently, Yamada looked at him in awe but said nothing. He kept his mouth shut tightly. He knew that the older was right. And he knew that it needed a very strong will to reach the decision.   
  
_If he could, why couldn’t I?_  
  
“If I drowned to the memory I wouldn’t be able to move on.”   
  
_It’s just like me. I could’t move on because without me realizing that I always look back to the time and drowned to my anger. Why me? The question always appears in my mind. Even until now. But looking at you today I guess I can take one step ahead._  
  
_Probably._  
  
“As I said before that we should get over it. It’s been years and I know that my parent wouldn’t like if I keep mourning all my life. They told me to run so I could live, and paid their part who couldn’t live this life. And I believe that they wanted me to always enjoy my life so I should enjoy my life as they wanted.”   
  
Yamada sighed. “Is that why ..., you always do those stupid jokes? To hide all of your pains?”   
  
Now the older looked at him and smiled again. It was still sour but Yamada didn’t care. He himself was still couldn’t let a smile for the rest of his life since the incident.   
  
“I’m totally forgotten about the memory while I’m joking around like that. You should try once.”   
  
Yamada didn’t give him any answer. He was just looking at the older with no word before looked away again. “Did you do the search too?”   
  
Takaki turned to him. “What search?”   
  
“Searching for my background. Like others did.”   
  
Takaki leaned to the tree again and looked up to the sky. “Is it important to find about your background? I really don’t care about it you know. If you want to tell me, just tell me. I don’t want to find it on my own. It’s troublesome and I’m too lazy to do that.”   
  
Yamada turned to see the flat expression of him.   
  
“Yabu told me. About everything.”   
  
_That noisy person!_  
  
He almost rolled his eyes at the revelation.   
  
Takaki closed his eyes. “The voice of my mother when she told me to run was still ringing in my ears. And it’s still ringing even until now. I guess it won’t disappear forever.“ He opened his eyes and looked up to the blank white sky. “But I guess I have to thank her. He tried hard to protect me even until now.”   
  
Yamada didn’t really understand what he meant by his words but he didn’t voice out any question. It looked that the older was going to tell him anyway so he kept silence.   
  
“Will you believe me if I tell you that I always heard her voice every time I’m in danger?”   
  
Now he couldn’t prevent himself to look at him. “So when you always thanked your mother after our battle was over wasn’t just for joking?”   
  
“I still could hear the word, you know. And it always rang like an alarm in my head every time a danger treated me.”   
  
“So that’s why you always knew whenever your life was at a stake. You always could sense the danger around you. We thought you have a six sense or something.”   
  
Takaki chuckled. “I’m not that great, you know. It’s just a coincidence that I was always saved even at a critical condition. I was just lucky so far. All thanks to my mother. I guess she just loves me so much.”   
  
Yamada didn’t give any respons. He breathed heavily.   
  
“I thought ... I ...,”   
  
Takaki turned to the younger and pinched his cheeks hard. “At least you have to learn how to smile. Honestly I hate you because you never let yourself enjoy this life even for once. You always close yourself in your own world and made a barricade so we couldn’t enter it. I believe your parents aren’t happy looking at you now. Smile, smile, and smile until you feel hurt on your face.”   
  
Tears rolled down his cheek but he didn’t try to hide it. He just let himself crying in silent.   
  
“Let it out, Yamada. Cry out loudly.”   
  
Takaki himself couldn’t hold his tears looking at the younger was really crying out loudly. He smiled between his tears.   
  
_One step ahead. Finally we could take a step ahead._  
  


~~~~

  
It was hours later when both of them sat and staring at the ferries-wheel silently. No more talks, no more cries. They had enough with all of that and decided to move on.

“Ah, you’re awake! Welcome back!” Hikaru suddenly stood in front of them with two cans of coffee in his hands. He sat beside Takaki right away and gave Yamada one can before threw the other to Takaki. “Daiki made you this. He said I have to make you eat all of this food or else he will kill me when we got back home later, so please, please, pretty please, eat all of this, okay?”

Takaki looked at the food and reached it before slowly ate it. No words came out again from him the rest of the time but it was enough for Hikaru. He looked better then all the years he had been through. He should thank Yamada later for willing to accompany him here. He didn’t know whether he was the actual reason of Takaki’s fast recovery this year or not, but still he wanted to thank Yamada for coming with him today.

He smiled even widely when Takaki gave the empty box back to him. And then, after a few silence between them, Hikaru pulled the two persons up and begged them to go home.

It was only few steps from the place where Takaki had mourned when a sound of an explosion jolted them. Both Yamada and Takaki turned around right away to the source but found nothing. No scream of the people, or even the smell of the gunpowder. It’s just a loud cry of a kid not far from them and the soothing voice of a mother who tried to calm him down.

“It’s okay, guys. It’s just a balloon.”

Hikaru tapped Takaki’s arm and embraced him on his shoulder before reached Yamada with his another hand.

“Come on. Let’s go home. It’s almost dinner and they won’t leave us anything if we don’t go home now.”  



	13. I'm with You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being away too long :)  
> Lost connection for a while actually :(

It was another peaceful morning when Daiki suddenly yelled from the kitchen.  
  
“We’re almost out of the groceries~”  
  
Takaki, Yuri, Inoo, and Keito were sent to buy the groceries in result.  
  
When they’ve done, out of the blue Takaki suddenly turned over. He heard someone was calling him but he saw no one.  
  
“Is there anything wrong?” Yuri gripped his arm.  
  
He turned to the shortest and found a concerned face of him. He shook his head and smiled.   
  
_You always can read me that easy, huh?_  
  
“No. It’s okay.”  
  
Yuri pouted slightly but didn’t budge more. He knew it was useless. When Takaki said nothing then it’s nothing. He wouldn’t spill anything to him. However, it didn’t stop him to take glances every now and then to the older to assure himself that he was really okay. He saw him looked at the same direction so many times and a puzzled expression was clearly drawn all over his face when he didn’t find anything in that direction.   
  
They were waiting for Keito to pay the groceries when Takaki took a deep breath when once again he heard his name was being called. He turned over to the direction where the voice came and there, among the people on the streets, he saw a glimpse of a figure passed by.   
  
“Sorry. I have something to do around. Can I leave you alone?”   
  
Curiously Yuri grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”   
  
“Just around. And let Keito drive.” He gave Yuri the car key just to receive a slight pout from Inoo.   
  
“You know that I can drive too. Let me drive them home.”   
  
Takaki raised his eyebrows and looked at him. “And let you hit the gate when you try to enter it? Again?”   
  
Inoo pouted more at him. He knew he was never been succeeded entering their very large gate but at least he had tried.   
  
“I want them to reach home safely, okay. Not even a scratch from stupid accident you actually could avoid. Keito will drive, end of discussion.”   
  
And Inoo couldn’t retort him. Takaki was the most childish person in the house but at one time he could turn into a scary person. He really didn’t want to argue that scary part of him because he knew he would lose completely. He experienced once and didn’t want to experience it again.   
  
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong? You look nervous.”   
  
Takaki looked at Yuri who gave him a worried look and patted his head gently. “I’m fine. I just need to check on something around. I’ll be home soon. Don’t worry.”   
  
A slight pout was still tugging on the shortest’ lip when Takaki left. Questions suddenly formed in his mind.   
  
_Is it about Hikaru? He was always being secretive to me when it involved him. I don’t like it at all. He never tells me anything when it involved him._  
  
“Maybe one day he will finally choose you over everything in the world. Just wait patiently, okay?”   
  
Yuri turned around and saw Keito was standing behind him, still looking at the direction where Takaki left. He sighed heavily for the words.   
  
“Your words sounded like I’m waiting for his confession of love.”   
  
“Don’t you?”   
Yuri could only gave them his death glare, made both of the elder held their laugh and walked away.   
  
Meanwhile, Takaki walked outside the market and looked around with a big hope that he was wrong.   
  
_What is he doing here? He said he didn’t want to go everywhere today._  
  
Before he realize it, he found out that he was totally wrong when he saw a familiar figure he tried to search for between the passer by on the cross-path. He breathed heavily and decided to follow him.   
  
Curiously, he followed the figure. He tried hard not to make any sound and always kept the distance so he wouldn’t be found out. But few times later when he accidentally bumped to an old woman, he lost him. He ran forward with a high hope that he would find him but none. There wasn’t even a single sign of him. He sighed heavily and turned around, decided to go home when he froze in his place at the silent question drawn all over Hikaru’s face that stood right in front of him.   
  
Takaki scratched his nape and smiled sheepishly. “I’m just curious, okay. I did it without any intention. I was in the market for groceries with the other when I saw you. You looked …, gloomy, that’s why I followed you.”   
  
Hikaru sighed and gave him a sign to follow which the older obediently did it.   
  
Takaki didn’t ask more. He just followed silently where Hikaru led him. His breath hitched when they arrived at a cemetery and his eyes widened when Hikaru stopped in front of a grave.   
  
Times flew without any word came out from their mouth. Takaki could only follow everything Hikaru did. He was just obediently did everything Hikaru told him. So many questions popped out of his mind but he didn’t dare to voice it out.   
  
“This is the grave of my parents.”   
  
That one sentence answered all of his questions. He badly wanted to ask more but decided to not ask him further, when he saw Hikaru’s expression. It was far for calm. It was far from his usual flat expression. It was depression and sad, also slight of anger. He gripped his shoulder and made him turned over to him.   
  
“When you found this?”   
  
Hikaru’s eyes didn’t avert from the grave. “Last month.”   
  
It’s after Inoo found out about his family.   
  
He looked intently to Hikaru’s eyes. “Isn’t this the right time for you to cry? You’ve been holding it for years. Isn’t this the right time to let it out?”   
  
With that Hikaru lost his defense. Tears started rolled down his cheek and he let his sobs out loudly. He gripped Takaki’s front shirt tightly, prevented himself from launching his fist to let his emotion out of his mind.   
  
Takaki gritted his teeth hard. He knew the feeling, of losing his important persons. He just held Hikaru’s arm and caressed it gently.   
  
It’s hours later when finally they decided to leave the cemetery. Hikaru tried to avoid Takaki’s eyes along the way home. He didn’t dare to look at him straightly, and Takaki knew it. He let him be and they kept silence along the way home.   
  
It’s Yabu who saw them entered the front door and realized that there’s something wrong with Hikaru who closed his room right away.   
  
“What happened?”   
  
Takaki smiled at the oldest. “It’s nothing. It’s just another day in our life.”   
  
Yabu couldn’t ask more because Takaki walked away. He tried to catch him when he entered the kitchen to take a bottle of water but the pleading look on his face stopped him.   
  


~~☺~~

Takaki finished his dinner fast, tried hard to avoid the question on the other’s face about Hikaru. It was almost late at night when he decided to go to Hikaru’s room. He opened the door and turned on the lamp. The younger was sitting on the bed and not moving. His eyes blanked.  
  
He sighed heavily and walked over. He grabbed the younger and made him face him properly. “You can’t mourn this way. I know you’ve been searching for them all your life and I know how hurt it is to find nothing. I know the feeling to find them gone but you can’t hurt yourself this way.”  
  
Hikaru shrugged him off. He ignored him.  
  
Again, Takaki grabbed him and made him face him properly once again. “Hikaru. This isn’t you. I know your feeling but this isn’t the right way to let it out.”  
  
“Bugh!”  
  
All Takaki knew was that he was pushed to the wall and made him hit the rack and all he knew after that was all the things on the rack fell down to the floor, made a loud noise, which he believed all the people in the house heard it.  
  
“You don’t know anything about my feeling! You have the memory to remind you about them, but me? It’s blank. I don’t have anything in my memory. I badly wanted to reminiscence but all I have in my mind is about the orphanage. There’s nothing else!”  
  
Takaki slowly stood up from the floor but couldn’t say anything because he knew that Hikaru was right. So he just gritted his teeth hardly, tried hard to not shout back to the younger.  
  
“Get out.”  
  
Sighed heavily, Takaki turned and walked out of his room. He closed the door carefully and stared at the doorknob for a while. He didn’t know why but he felt so lonely suddenly.  
  
He bit his lower lip and decided to leave Hikaru alone. He turned around and almost startled when he was faced with the curious Yabu who stood in the middle of the hall, prevented him from moving further.  
  
“I’ve heard a yell and the sound of something broken. Is everything alright?”  
  
Takaki smiled slightly. It was sour. “I’ve told you before that it’s nothing. It’s totally fine.”  
  
“But your lips tell different.” Yabu touched the corner of his lip and showed him the red crimson on his finger. “Did he hit you?”  
  
“Please.” Takaki shrugged him off. “I’ve told you it’s fine, okay? It’s just another day in our life.” He walked away from the oldest.  
  
Yabu didn’t believe of everything Takaki told about. He knew something wrong was up. The silent Hikaru which was very weird for him, and the awkward Takaki which he found more suspicious. But he couldn’t get any clue about what had happened to both of them.  
  
A soft tap on his shoulder made him turned around to see Inoo’s calming face.  
  
“Let them finish it alone. They grew up.”  
  


~~☺~~

Takaki stood silently in the middle of his room. His stare was empty.  
  
 _I was always leaning to you without thinking of what your feeling all these times. You always smile to me, always say that everything will be okay, that I could lean on you any time I need someone to lean on. Never once in my mind I had a thought that you are actually this fragile._  
  
He walked over the bed and sat down the floor. He leaned to the bed and pulled out his hair desperately.  
  
 _Oh my God. What have I done to you? You’ve been hurt and I never notice it. I selfishly leaned on you while you were trying hard to stand straightly on your own feet. You fought alone. You’ve been fought alone. No one helped you. Oh my God._  
  


~~☺~~

He slowly walked the empty hall. It’s dark, but he firmly walked to one of the door in the hall. He reached for the door knob and pushed it gently. It’s dark and no ligth, but he moved forward anyway. Vaguely, he could see a figure sat by the floor, and leaned to the bed. He couldn’t see him clearly but he knew that the figure was definitely the person he wanted to meet badly. He closed the door and moved over. He stood silently in front of him before decided to sit beside him. The figure didn’t move, even when he moved closer to him, and made himself sat closely to him with their arms touched to each other.  
  
No words. No move. They sat silently for who knows how long, staring at the blank wall in front of them.  
  
The silence was broken when finally Takaki reached out his hand and ruffled Hikaru’s back hair. Hikaru couldn’t say anything. He knew he was wrong but he knew too that when Takaki touched him like that, the older had forgiven him. He just leaned on his shoulder and slowly drifted to a deep slumber.  
  


~~☺~~

“Yuya, breakfast’s ready~”  
  
But he was stopped at the sight in front of him. Hikaru was sleeping peacefully leaned on Takaki’s shoulder while Takaki was leaning back on his head. Yuri lost his words and didn’t know what to do. For a while he fought with himself about should he wake both of them or not but then decided to not even lay any finger on them. The atmosphere was too peaceful so he decided to let them be so he just took out his phone and took the picture of them.  
  
Few times later, he came back to the dining room with a wide smile tugged on his lip.  
  
“Yuri, where are they? I told you to call them, right?”  
  
He didn’t give him the answer. He was just handed his phone to all of them and showed them the picture he just took in Takaki’s room.  
  
“This is cute!” Daiki took the phone away and started to send it to everyone’s phone right away. When everyone had received the picture they nodded right away, agreed him about the picture. Something was flashing in his mind when Inoo watched the picture. A little smirk tugged on his lip.  
  
Yabu glared at him “Kei, I really don’t like what you’re thinking of.”  
  
But Inoo was only smirking at the picture in his hand.  



	14. The Worries

He walked into the kitchen and saw no one. He opened the fridge, took out a bottle of water when his ears caught a step walked over from behind.   
  
“I saw Hikaru and Takaki ..., sitting on a tree ..., kissing ~”  
  
Hikaru squirted out the water from his mouth suddenly. He turned over and saw Inoo was smirking at him from the door. He put the bottle of water on the table near him when the latter walked over to him with a mischievous smile tugged on his lips. Hikaru gulped. There’s something in the way Inoo smiled at him, and he didn’t like it.   
  
“I saw it.” Inoo whispered on his ears.   
  
Hikaru looked at him with his eyes widened, tried hard to guess what the older tried to tell him. He didn’t want to coclude anything but from his smirk he knew that this would be something big.   
  
“What?” His voice chocked.   
  
“Are you nervous now?”   
  
Hikaru gulped. Yes, of course he’s nervous. He didn’t even blink when he looked at the older who fished something on his pocket. Hesitantly, he turned to the way Inoo walked and followed him. He stopped abruptly when the older suddenly stopped and turned over to him, showed him a picture in his phone.   
  
He felt his heart stopped beating looking at the picture and swore himself to find the culprit who stole the picture of his private time and made sure to give him at least a punch, but then he smiled widely to the older.   
  
“Oh my God. How did you find this. Oh my God.” He grabbed the picture and turned over. “Yuya! Yuya! We’re busted!” He screamed out of his lungs  
  
Takaki came hurriedly to the kitchen and was still confused at the younger’s attitude. “What?”   
  
Everyone stumbled at the door when Daiki, who ran in the front, hit Takaki’s back who was still standing by the door.   
  
“Takaki! Move!” He hissed while caressing his forehead.   
  
Takaki moved over to Hikaru who was smiling awkwardly at him.   
  
“Look at this picture! We’re busted!”   
  
He looked at the picture then to all of the people in the room and read the sign. They’re really busted.   
  
“Oh my God.” He mumbled silently before turned to Hikaru who beamed him an apologetic look. “I told you to not come to my room when everybody is around, didn’t I? Look at the result! This is your entire fault. I always told you that this should be a secret.”   
  
Hikaru almost gasped at the harsh words from the older.   
  
“I’m really sorry, okay? I thought it was late that night, and everybody was sleeping soundly on their bed. I don’t think that someone would find me went to your room. I’m really, really sorry. I don’t know that it will turn out like this. What should we do now? Will they hate us for being gay?”   
  
Takaki sighed and reached for Hikaru to hold him in his embrace. Hikaru was more than glad, and circled his hand around Takaki’s torso and sobbed.   
  
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t come to you that night. Would you forgive me? You won’t leave me just because of this, right?”   
  
He sighed again and leaned on Hikaru’s head while staring at Yabu who looked at him intently.   
  
“it’s too late to even do that. It looks everybody knew it.”   
  
“I know they knew it. I know one day they will find it. I told you so many times that we should get out of this house but you always refuse. You always said this is our house. This is our family. We don’t have any place to go if we go out from here.”   
  
Takaki bit his lower lip hard. He didn’t say anything because he didn’t know what to say. He tapped his shoulder, made him looked up at him before together they turned to all of their friends who gaped at them. Hikaru looked back to Takaki, and suddenly they burst out into laughter.   
  
Yamada was the first person who realized that they were just being tricked. He looked away and shook his head lighty, didn’t believe that he actually fell for the trick. Then one by one, everyone in the room realized it. Some of them cursed under their breath while Yabu was only closing his eyes, tried hard to remind himself to be more careful next time. He knew Hikaru was a prankster but never once in his life he thought that Takaki could prank them too.   
  
Hikaru walked to Inoo and tapped his shoulder.   
  
“I’m sorry for disappointing you Inoo-Chan. I won’t blush and embarrassed like you did when I teased you before. We used to sleep that way since we’re still in the orphanage. We enjoyed it because that was the way we show our care. There is a love between us, I admit it, but not in the way you’ve been thought. I’m straight so far I remember, and Yuya said that he is too, so I guess there won’t be a love story between us. At least that what we feel now. I’m sorry.”   
  
Takaki bit his lower lip and raised his hands up. “Sorry, guys. No plan at all. I just followed his plot.”   
  
Daiki folded his hands on his chest and glared to the both. “You know what? Both of you could be the best actors if you want. Why don’t you just sign up yourselves to an Entertainment Agency so they could make you as huge stars?”   
  
Both Hikaru and Takaki could only smirk at the comment.   
  
Keito lowered himself to the level of Yuri’s ear and whispered. “I guess you still have a chance. Good luck.”   
  
Yuri turned over right away and shot him his death glare but Keito only smiled at him and walked away from the kitchen.   


  
~~~~

  
“It was a shipping company. Two of their ships were hijacked in a row last month. ABC-Z was assigned to guard their last shipping and nothing suspicious happened. The ship arrived at the destination safely. The president of the company hired us secretly. Only few people from the company knew about our agreement. ABC-Z blended and even the crew knew them only as the new members. But nothing happened with the last shipping.”

Ryutaro could see that everyone in the room got the point about what he tried to say so he decided to end his explanation.

“They will guard them once again for the next shipping, and if they arrive safely again then it must be someone from inside the company who actually do the hijacking.”

Yuri raised his hand. “The hijackers?”

Ryutaro looked at him before scrolling the file and gave them a picture of the situation of the ship on the hijacking. “This picture, which I and the uppers believe, been taken secretly by one of the crew of the ship, and been handed to us secretly by the president which was sent secretly to him too before, with no name on the package. Look at them.” Ryutaro pointed at one of the hijackers. “They use HK5, the newest model, and limited edition.”

Some of them whistled at the picture. Even Daiki narrowed his eyes to get a focus on the picture.

“It really is. How do they get those things? So far I know it produced for military only.”

“We have it too, Daiki.” Inoo snorted to the shortest.

“And we are a part of the force, Inoo. So I guess it is legal for us to have those things.”

“Guys, please. We are not the part of the force. I thought it was clear enough for you to understand that when we were formed.” Yabu suddenly stood up and looked around the room.

“The force secretly formed us, Yabu. So whatever they say we’re still their part.”

Inoo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and they will leave us alone when everything go out of hand and leave all the blame to us. That means, we’re actually not a part of them, Daiki.”

“Guys, please. Can we drop this?”

Everyone turned to Yamada who was still staring at the picture, like trying to find something.

“We agreed to enter this house for whatever consequences. I guess you’re still clearly remember that. Do you think it’s appropriate for you to debate about our existence now? We’re not a part of any force this government had formed. We’re just us. We’re not even exist. End of discussion.”

Some of them agreed him right away while Daiki could only pout at the statements. He knew he was wrong from the beginning so he kept his mouth shut tightly and said nothing more.

Ryutaro turned off the monitor and looked at them, slightly thanked Yamada for making them to focus back to him. “Listen, guys, these people are well trained. I knew you’re good, but please, be careful, and don’t try to act cool, okay? Stay in the place you’ve been ordered and wait for the back up in case you have to make a contact.”

“Ryu, we’re just going to investigate the company. We’re not going to the war-zone. We’re just going to the company and dealing with the computer things and files, so we won’t do any contact with them. It’s ABC-Z’s part now.” Yuto reminded him about the task, made everyone in the room smiled amusingly to the youngest of them.

Ryutaro sighed. “I know, but I feel something is really wrong with this company. I don’t know, but my heart kept telling me that you will find something big inside the company. I just ..., don’t want anyone of you get hurt. I want you to come back alive. All of you.”

“Aww, Ryu! That’s cute~” Suddenly Yuri hugged him fully, made the other smiled widely and some of them cheered loudly to the sight.

“OK, so who’s going in?” Keito tried to bring them back to focus to their topic and everybody went back to their seats.

“Yabu, Hikaru, Yamada,”

Everybody stared at the youngest like waiting for him to continue because they could sense clearly that he obviously wasn’t finish his words.

“And Takaki, I want you to join them.”

The said person raised his eyebrows. “Me? Is it okay if I joined them? Would the uppers agree this?”

Ryutaro sighed again. “Just go with them, please?”

“Why me? It will be better if Keito or Inoo who joins them. They’re good with computer while I’m suck. I won’t be useful for them during the investigation.”

“Because you always could sense the danger that come over you. You can warn them early in case everything moves out of its track so you can get out of the building as soon as you can. I don’t care if you call me paranoid or something, but I really don’t like the uneasiness I feel since the upper gave me the order.”

Everyone in the room stared intently to the youngest and could read clearly the uneasiness he felt through his eyes. Some of them breathed heavily and silently looked at each other.

“OK, let’s do it.” Yabu stood up and walked away from the room, followed by the others when Ryutaro grabbed his hand.

“Bulletproof vest, please.”

That sounded too much but they had learned that one’s instinct had saved them every time in the past, so Yabu could only nodded at the youngest and walked away.  



	15. Run!

Takaki looked around the room in silent. He didn’t like what he felt since the first time he stepped into the building. He didn’t know why but he could smell something was not right. He felt the danger was hiding somewhere in the floor and ready to attack him. His heart beat faster than before when he realized the feeling. He looked back to the empty corridor behind him once again and slightly felt the eerie atmosphere along the corridor wanted to gulp him alive. It’s too empty and too silent. Somehow, it sent him a shiver down his spine. However, he gripped the door tightly and decided to ignore his feeling.  
  
_I didn’t hear anything so far, so I guess everything will be alright. If Ryutaro was right, that this place is dangerous, then Mom will never leave me. She will tell me to run if I have to._  
  
He closed the door carefully and turned over, to meet with the silent questions formed on the face his friends. He gulped slightly and sighed heavily.  
  
“Can you do it fast?”  
  
Without words, the rest of them reached for the near computers and files and started to find something. They could read the sign. Takaki looked different. He tried hard to look calm while the nervousness was drawn all over his face.  
  
_So, no time, huh? We just arrived and they had moved._  
  
Yabu scrolled down the files in the computer fast. He didn’t even blink for seconds to focus his eyes on the screen.  
  
The same thing happened to Yamada. He plugged in his removable disk and copied all the files he found suspicious right away without checking it first.  
  
_We have no time. I will check it later when we’re out of here. Just please, Takaki, don’t force us to leave too soon._  
  
Takaki looked at his friends who tried to work as fast as they can. He didn’t have a heart to tell them that his heart beat faster than before. It went thump-thump all the time. It was too noisy until he could hear it clearly in his ears. He tried hard to distract himself from the nervousness, so he walked over to Hikaru, and reached for a bundle of file and tried helped them.  
  
Minutes passed with no words. There’re only sounds of the flipping papers and the ticking keyboards of the computers filling the air. The eerie atmosphere was somehow calmed Takaki, made his heart beat slower than before. He sighed slightly every now and then, tried to ease his heartbeat.  
  
Then, it wasn’t long after Takaki closed the second bundle when he heard it.  
  
_Run._  
  
His body stiffened. He stunned and then saw his friends were still busy with their work. He took a picture of two suspicious papers before putting the bundle back to its place. He looked at his friends again but said nothing.  
  
Hikaru saw him and put the bundle of file in his hand down to its place.  
  
_They had come, right?_  
  
He walked fast to the window and peeked but found nothing. There’s no sign of a dangerous thing from outside. He then walked to the door, opened it slightly and peeked outside. There’s nothing too. It was still empty like when they came before. He closed the door again and looked at Takaki who was trying to distract himself by looking at the computer that handled by Yamada, but he could see clearly the uneasiness on his face.  
  
_Run._  
  
Takaki gritted his teeth. “Found something? Anything?” He whispered lowly, tried hard to hide his nervousness.  
  
“Ten seconds.” Yamada tapped the desk impatiently before reached for his removable disk and pulled it abruptly. “Done.”  
  
Yabu did the same at the same time and they stood up abruptly right away, followed Takaki who led them to walk out of the room. They almost ran along the corridor to the elevator. It was still on its way. Takaki fisted his hands tightly because he felt the elevator was moving too slow.  
  
“Come on.” He hissed slightly at the slow elevator.  
  
_Run._  
  
It was one more floor when he heard it again.  
  
“Stairs.” He hissed again, loud enough for his friend to hear him.  
  
He stepped back, and ran away from the elevator and took the stairs. The three of them just followed him obediently. They even took two or three steps at once to go down. The sound of their steps echoed along the empty room of the staircase. They tried hard to not making aloud voice but the staircase was too empty. There’s no one else but them. The sound of their steps echoing across the hall, sounded like continuous loud thump.  
  
It said 2rd floor when Takaki finally stopped. Panting, he reached for the doorknob and opened the door carefully. The corridor was empty. He stepped out and walked carefully, followed silently by the three of his friends who took a glance every now and then to their back. They reached the lobby and slightly sighed with relief. Finally, they arrived at a room full of a lot of people.  
  
There’s nothing suspicious with the lobby. It was not too crowd but many people loitering around the room. Some people stood by the receptionist desk, talking with the front officers. Some again were just standing in front of the elevator, waiting for it to come, and some were just walking by to go somewhere to or inside the building.  
  
_They won’t attack us in this place if they are smart._  
  
Yabu took a glance all over the place and suddenly felt being watched secretly. He saw his friends felt the same. His heart beat faster as they reached for the front door.  
  
They walked out of the wide front door and stepped the stairs to the front yard that connected the building to the road. They firmly moved fast, hoped that the steps of the stair ended soon but suddenly it felt too long. They took a glance around and found themselves were vulnerable enough to be attacked. They were in a much opened place, with no shield, and alone. No one else walked down or up the stairs aside of them. Without any command, they reached for their gun inside their jacket and gripped it tightly, ready to pull it out and use it.  
  
_Please, run._  
  
They were in the middle of the stairs when Takaki suddenly started to run again. They followed him right away. A bullet silently whizzed over them. Hikaru ducked suddenly when Yabu pulled him. He was saved but it scratched his cheek. They kept moving and another bullet whizzed again. This time Yabu was pushed to the front. He was shot on his back. Takaki grabbed him and slightly dragged him along the way. Yamada and Hikaru took a place behind them and tried to cover them from the next shooting.  
  
_Please, run._  
  
“Yabu, are you with me?” Takaki to make Yabu talk to him.  
  
“Yeah ... I’m ... wearing it. Don’t worry ... “  
  
“He got the shock.” Yamada confirmed from behind.  
  
“We have to reach the safer place and open the vest. He has to breathe freely.”  
  
Another bullet whizzed over them and they ducked deeply. It was only a hair on top of Yamada, and he slightly thanked Hikaru for pulling him down. Takaki grabbed Yabu on his embrace and almost hugged him to keep him awake. He held his arm tightly, almost gripping it so the older didn’t shut his eyes.  
  
“I’m ... still ... alive ... “  
  
“I know, and you should stay awake. At least until we open your vest so you could breathe freely.”  
  
They took a glance to Yabu every now and then to see how far the bullet had damaged the vest. They prayed continuously that it was strong enough to protect his body so it wouldn’t reach his skin.  
  
“Shit! Just few steps more. Why it feels like forever!” Hikaru cursed slightly. He kept pushed Yamada’s head down and forced him to duck deeply.  
  
A car stopped abruptly in front of them when they reached the last step and the door opened right away. Two people jumped down and reached for them, pushed them hard inside the car before they moved again.  
  
“Hello, lil’ bro. Long time no see.”  
  
The four of them looked up and their eyes widened when they found out the people who was smirking at them.  



	16. After A Very Long Time

“Hello, lil’ bro. Long time no see.”  
  
The four of them looked up and their eyes widened when they found out the people who was smirking at them.  
  
The person knelt forward and grabbed Yabu to open the vest forcefully and took it off. “Glad you wore it.” He showed them the bullet, which was still pierced in the vest. It almost went through the vest. “If you wore the usual vest, you died.”  
  
Yabu stared at the person while gulping slightly. He shivered lightly though he had predicted that the shooter used a special bullet because he felt the push was different. The impact was too strong.  
  
The other three decided to keep silence since they still didn’t know his intention of saving them.  
  
“Come on! Don’t look at me like that! I’m not going to kill you, okay? I was just saving you. No thank you for me?”  
  
“I’m sorry. Thank you, but what are you doing here?” Yabu got up and sat in front of his friends. He now clearly could see the person was wearing a familiar uniform, which he knew was owned by one of forces the nation had formed. The force that decided to make shadow troops contained them as one of their affiliate. And looking at the uniform he wore, Yabu swore that it meant the person in front of him had a quite high position in the force.  
  
The person sighed dramatically. “Kou, is that the way you greet me after years? Don’t you miss me?”  
  
Yabu was still staring at him without words. He demanded an explanation with his stare, an explanation he had waited for years.  
  
The person could read clearly the demand from his eyes. He sighed again, defeated with Yabu’s silent. “Okay, I’m sorry, okay. I didn’t mean to leave without explanation. I intended to say at least a good bye to you but they didn’t allow me to do it. They said it’s a secret and I shouldn’t tell anybody where I will go. You knew how it works. I guess I don’t have to explain more than that.”  
  
Yabu looked away. Deep inside his heart he found out that he actually was still not forgiving him for leaving without word years ago but at least he knew the reason now. Aside of that, he actually had buried his hurt for being left alone in that orphanage together with the memories he didn’t want to remember. So, he actually almost forgot about him before they met again few minutes ago. He then turned to his friends, who were still sat stiffened in their place. “It’s okay guys. He’s an acquaintance of mine, an old friend.”  
  
“What?”  
  
The four of them jolted in surprise at the sudden shout and turned right away to the person who gaped dramatically at them.  
  
“Is that the way you saw me all the time? An acquaintance? A friend? Haven’t we done an oath of brotherhood? Remember the one time we did under the full moon on the rooftop of the main building years ago?”  
  
Yabu rolled his eyes and turned to his friends again. “Don’t mind him. We were just watching the beautiful full moon that night, and there were almost ten kids that time. There’s nothing else happened, and of course there’s nothing called an oath of brotherhood.”  
  
Hikaru bit his lips to prevent himself from smiling widely. A naughty thought popped up on his mind but he forgot it right away when he felt a pinch on his thigh. He turned to see Takaki was glaring at him with a don’t-dare look on his face, and a slight pout formed on his face right away.  
  
“Kou~ You’re cold.”  
  
“Shut up, Jin. Mister driver, would you stop please?” He looked at him again. “I’m sorry, Jin. We have to go. Thank you for saving us but we really have to go.”  
  
When the car stopped, the four of them walked out of it right away and without looking back again to them they walked away.  
  
Jin stared at Yabu and his friends in silence. “What do you think, Sir? They smell good to me.”  
  
The driver was also staring silently to the boys who disappeared to the alley before turning to Jin and smirked. “Of course they are. That’s why I showed you them.”  
  
Both of them grinned to each other before looking back at the alley where the boys were disappeared.  
  
The light almost startled them when the boys went out from the alley. It wasn’t to bright but they just came out from a gloomy winding alley. They tried not to walk in the open area for sometimes. Not after the shooting incident. Perhaps it was their lucky day that they’re saved but they knew that they wouldn’t be saved for the second time. They’ve tried to understand that there wouldn’t be a second chance for everything in their life. Not in the life they’ve had chosen.  
  
_If you’ve saved one time, move on. Don’t ever look back even once._  
  
The words mingled in their head on and on in every contact, and even their bodies had gotten used to the drill. So without any command or any discussion, they decided to crawl along the gloomy alley.  
  
“I don’t know that you knew someone from the uppers?”  
  
Yabu didn’t even need to look at Takaki who walked beside him to know that the younger was very curious until he couldn’t handle his urge to ask him.  
  
“I don’t know too. I just found out when you found out.”  
  
“He has three stars.” Yamada said calmly. “It means he has a pretty important position. Who is he?”  
  
Yabu breathed heavily. He stopped in front of the cross path, waiting for the light to turn green, and noticed the remnants of snow on the side of the road that starts to melt. “A friend of mine. So far I could remember, he was there in the orphanage. Where, when, how, we didn’t know. We just knew that he was there. His name is Jin, and like most of us, he only has that name.” He sighed heavily. “One morning I found his bed was empty and I didn’t hear anything about him since that day.”  
  
Hikaru tapped his chin lightly. He glanced to the oldest and scratched the back of his head. “So, if he came from the same home as you, it means Inoo knew him too.”  
  
“No. Inoo came exactly a week after he left.”  
  
Yamada looked at the people across them one by one intently. “I don’t mind with your friend. I just don’t like the way of the both of people who pushed us into the car stared at us. They watched us like they wanted to eat us alive.”  
  
“Now you mentioned it.” Hikaru nodded his head before turning from Yamada to Takaki who was still taking a glance every now and then to the oldest.  
  
“What?” Takaki dumbfounded looked back at him.  
  
He raised his eyebrows, threw him a silence question.  
  
He curved his lips when he got what the younger tried to ask him.“I didn’t hear anything so I guess it’s fine.”  
  
The rest of them looked suddenly at him in wonder. They thought the same thing in their mind.  
  
_I just realize that he is this simple._  
  
“How many years we’ve known each other?”  
  
Takaki started to walk when the light turned green for them, followed by the other. “It’s been seven years. Almost seven years exactly. Why do you suddenly ask that question?”  
  
Yabu smiled lightly.  
  
_Seven years, and I just found out that you are this simple. Where have I been?_  
  
He shook his head in wonder.  
  
“Yabu, you’re creepy. What are you smiling at?”  
  
“It’s nothing.”  
  
Takaki looked at him intently, almost made him stumbled at the person walked from the front of him if Yamada didn’t pull him to the side.  


  
~~~~  


  
It was a silent morning when suddenly they heard rapid knocks at the door. Everybody got up immediately and ran to the front door. Some of them got themselves readied for another attack but then one by one they put down their gun and hid it, when they saw Yabu shook his head, indicated that everything was alright. He had peeked to their uninvited guest through a little hole at the door and sighed heavily, made Yamada’s curiosity rose up and shoved him aside to do the same. He sighed heavily too before looking desperately at Yabu who looked back at him apologetically, and he resigned back to his room immediately.

“What? Who’s at the door?” Takaki yawned and scratched his side at the corridor.

Everybody stared at him in awe, wondered why he wasn’t even bothered with the sudden intrusion even though they knew that he was like that all the time.

“Are you normal?” Keito passed him and shook his head in disbelief.

“Huh?”

“Don’t mind him. Go back to sleep. It’s too early to wake up.” Yuri tapped his arm and pushed him to turn around to his room.

“I was suddenly hungry. I wanted to grab something in the kitchen when I saw you gathered around the door. Who was that?”

Everyone stopped and looked back to Takaki who walked lazily to the kitchen.

“Don’t say that you didn’t hear that frantic knock.” Yuto asked him in a very deep curiosity.

Takaki just shook his head and everybody shook their head too and chuckled together.

“You know what, Takaki? You’re awesome in one way.” Ryutaro tapped his back, made him almost chocked with the water he drank.

Takaki turned back to see everybody was shaking their head at him. “What are you doing here? Don’t you want to go back to sleep? This isn’t the time for you to stay here this early morning.”

Yamada shoved him and took another bottle for himself. “Blame someone here for the lost of my will to take more sleep.”

“Who?”

Everybody rolled their eyes for the answer.

“Don’t mind him, Takaki. And because everybody had awakened this morning, I demand all of you to help me making the breakfast, no offense, guys. Let’s start now.” Daiki clapped their hands together many times and prepared everything they needed for their breakfast to receive so many groans as the answer.

Meanwhile, feeling annoyed, Yabu opened the door and glared at the guest right after he closed the door behind him.

“What now?”

The guest raised his hands in confuse. “Don’t you want to invite me in?”

“There are the other nine persons living in this place, which means I’m not the only one who lives here. Would you consider that before knocking the door like you just did? You had disturbed everyone’s sleep.”

“It’s almost seven in the morning, Kou. It is time for all of you to get up and make your day. It’s a beautiful morning and you will waste your life if you keep sleeping like a fish like that.”

Yabu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “We have a rule here, Jin, that our day started at eight in winter. I don’t care what you said about this beautiful morning or anything else, but we won’t get up before eight.”

“Even if you got the assignment?”

“We have a deal with the uppers that we won’t do anything before eight in winter, so would you please go home and let me continue my sleeping for …” Yabu took a glance to his watch. “another hour, please?”

Jin sighed.

_This cute kid had changed a lot. I don’t know him anymore. I can’t even fool him anymore. Okay, I got the prove now that they’re actually the best, like everyone told me, but I want my cute little brother back to me._

“Please. If you don’t have anything else to say, leave. You can come back here in an hour or so and nobody will reject you that time. Even I, will welcome you gladly.”

“Then let me say this straight to the point. I’m here for something private, Kou. Just you and me.”

Yabu stared at him without blinking. He knew the tone. He always used the tone when he wanted to say something important. It made him stiffened when he realized that there’s only one thing he considered important, and when it’s Jin who wanted to talk now, he could only guess that it would be about his family.

“Have you tried to find your family? Like you said years ago?”

_I’m right. I guess I still know him well._

Yabu looked away. He really didn’t want to talk about it now. Not when he just forcedfully woke up from his sleep, when his mind was still in haze, and wasn’t completely functioned. “Jin, not now, please.”

“It’s Akanishi, Kou. My name is Akanishi Jin.”

Yabu lost his words. He blinked many times to the older, tried to form a word but nothing came to his mind.

“Don’t you want to meet your mother? I found her too. She is alive.”

His eyes widened and he could only stare at Jin with no words.  



	17. Undeniable Love

“She’s in room 236. It’s in the fourth floor. Our staff will lead you there, sir.”  
  
“No. It’s okay. Just give me the direction and I will help myself to go there.”  
  
The young woman smiled at him gently and stood up. “You can use the elevator over there,” She pointed at her left side, to the side where a pair of elevator stood side by side, gurded by two men. ”and turn right when you get out later, then turn left after few rooms. Her ward is right after the bridge that connected to the second building. It’s the fastest way if you want to reach her room from here. Or you can walk around to reach the next building through the park. It will take you more time though. Too bad it’s still Winter, but the park is very beautiful in Spring, sir.”  
  
“No. It’s okay. I’ll go this way.” Yabu smiled at her widely. “Thank you.”  
  
“You’re welcome, sir.”  
  
No one else in the elevator but him. He breathed heavily and saw the move of the light in every number of the floor nervously. He breathed again, wanted to free his lungs from the suffocated feeling that suddenly fulfilling it.  
  
He almost startled when the door opened. He bit his lower lip while walking out of the elevator. He looked to his right and then to the left. He wondered if the situation of the building was always the same everyday. It’s empty. No one else passed by.  
  
He started to walked in the corridor. The eerie atmosphere he got along the way chilled him up. It’s too silent and too empty.  
  
“Good morning, sir.”  
  
He almost jolted at the greeting. He turned to see a nurse passed him in an incredible speed.  
  
“Morning.” He said lowly, almost mumbled to himself. He looked at her walked like without stepping the floor. It was so fast until when he blinked his eyes he lost her shadow. He gaped and then chuckled to himself. He shook his head in disbelief before decided to continue his trip.  
  
_Everyone moves without sound. This is why this building feels eerie. Everybody tries hard not to make unnecessary sound around the building._  
  
He breathed heavily again and walked forward, got readied himself to face the worst when he stepped into the second building. The atmosphere of the building wasn’t really different from the first. He looked around and found no one else but him in the corridor. He breathed heavily again as he read the number at the floor of the rooms he passed, and slowed his steps when finally he reached the number he looked for.  
  
Hesitantly he stood in front of the door of the room, staring blankly to the number in front of him. _236._  
  
He gulped slightly. He had asked everything in the front office. They had explained everything to him until he understood about the condition of the person, which said as his mother.  
  
_How she looks like? Will she recognize me?_  
  
He breathed heavily, remembered what Jin had told him.  
  
_‘She’s in Paradise Asylum, don’t ask, please. Just go there and see her on your own. She’s alive. That’s the most important thing now, isn’t it?’_  
  
‘Isn’t it a place for us to ...’  
  
_‘Yes. It is a place for the people who got no hope for living. There are a lot of patients of uncured disease, but you can’t conclude anything now. I won’t tell you anything about your mother. Just go there and see her with your own eyes. It is better for you than I tell you everything.’_  
  
_He gulped hard at the sudden information he got. He once visited the place with Takaki to find certain information about someone and he kind of didn’t want to go back to the place if he could. He didn’t have a heart to see them again, people who live with doing countdown of their own life. It pained him and he couldn’t sleep for days that time._  
  
_‘Kou, I told you not to imagine anything, didn’t I? They will explain you her condition, and trust me, it is better for you to not thinking about anything now.’_  
  
He found out that Jin was right. He was too far thinking that his mother was in the edge of her life to find that she didn’t. The front officer told him that she was in her finest condition today. She even wasn’t in any danger state since the first time she was brought to the place. She just needed a place to rest. That’s all he concluded from what he had heard from the officer.  
  
_They don’t want to say that my mother is out of her mind. They avoid of saying that my mother is crazy._  
  
Slowly he pushed the door and a calming atmosphere welcomed him right away. The smell of lavender was gently tickling his nose, and somehow, that relieved his heartbeat, which was beating as if about to jump out of the cage ribs. The view in front of him was like a beautiful painting that made his soul floated out of his body, made him stunned motionless in his place with his mouth slightly opened.  
  
A tap on his back woke him from his trance. He looked around to see a wide smile from a nurse.  
  
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”  
  
Yabu stared at her without blinking for a while. His mind was still hazy with the sight he saw inside the room. He didn’t know why but it stopped working.  
  
“She has warm hands too. Most of us will go here when we feel almost in the edge and we couldn’t handle our fatigues. She doesn’t do anything usually. She’s just sitting there, sometimes she doesn’t even know or care that we’re here or not, but being here with her cured us.”  
  
Yabu didn’t answer her. He looked back inside the room.  
  
“Is she your relative?”  
  
A tap on his shoulder broke his trance one more time. He turned to the nurse. “What?”  
  
The nurse chuckled lightly. “I asked you, is she your relative?”  
  
Yabu nodded, almost frantically. “Yes. She is my mother. I just found her yesterday.”  
  
The nurse raised her brows and smiled widely again. “That’s why you look like her. I mean, you look exactly like her. You have her face.”  
  
He blinked many times in silence but say nothing. He didn’t know what to say.  
  
She chuckled lightly again. “Have a nice talk with her.”  
  
Before he could even open his mouth to say anything, she was already walked away.  
  
_Does every nurse here walk that fast? They’re incredibly fast. Their movement are great. They could be incredible agents or spies if they want. It will be easy for them to walk in and out of dangerous places and no one will be caught easily with that ability._  
  
He smiled slightly before turning back to the room. He stunned once again for a while by the door before decided to close it. He did it gently, almost with no sound. He didn’t want to startle the person who was sitting on the chair in front of the window and staring at the blank sky. She looked so comfortable with her silence. A peaceful aura radiated from her, made him couldn’t think anything than staring intently to the woman.  
  
She’s beautiful despite the fact that she didn’t do her makeup. Unconsciously, he raised his hand to touch his own face and realized that he had her eyes, her nose, and her lips. He had her face. She’s right.  
  
_I look exactly like her. Will she recognize me?_  
  
Slowly, he walked forward and stopped in front of her. There’s no word. It stopped somewhere in his throat and he couldn’t voice even a word out of his mouth. Not averting his eyes from the woman, he sat on the floor. Gently he reached for her hand, tried to get her attention.  
  
The woman didn’t budge. She was still staring outside the window with smile on her face.  
  
Yabu gripped her hand softly, made it caress his face, and his heart stopped beating when the woman finally turned to him.  
  
Her eyes darted to him straightly to his eyes, stabbed him deeply in his heart, made it stopped beating again. However, he felt the comfortable feeling suddenly enveloped him, tried to swallow him alive in the infinite warmth. His eyes locked in hers, made him forgot to say anything. No. He didn’t forget. He just couldn’t find any word left in his mind. It was blank.  
  
It felt hours when finally his lips twitched and formed a smile.  
  
“Hello, Mom. Finally I found you.” He smiled widely. “You look beautiful, just like what I’ve dreamed.”  
  
It was almost a whisper but took all of his strength to say it. After all, it was all he could say. He lost his words again after that, but he didn’t mind. He didn’t need words. He only needed her to be there. He smiled again and slowly leaned his head on her lap. It’s warm, and unconsciously, he drifted into a deep slumber.  
  
It felt hours later when he felt soft caress on his head. He opened his eyes, slightly confused about his whereabouts, but then he smiled again when finally he remembered where he was. He looked up to meet his mother’s eyes, who were staring at him intently. She then smiled widely at him.  
  
Yabu felt his heart stopped at the smile.  
  
“Do you remember me? It’s Kouta. I grew up, Mom.”  
  
There’s no response. The woman was only smiling widely at him.  
  
“It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to try to remember anything. I’m so glad that I finally found you.”  
  
There’s still no response. She was still smiling.  
  
Yabu didn’t say anything. He took her hand, kissed it gently and smiled widely again to the woman.  
  
A soft buzz in his pocket broke the silence. He took his phone and read a message before looking at his mother again.  
  
“I’m really sorry but I have to go. I promise to come here again as soon as I can.”  
  
He kissed her hand again and stood up.  
  
“I love you, mom.”  
  
He stood in front of her mother for a moment, really didn’t want to leave, but another buzz in his pocket forced him to go. He leaned down and kissed his mother’s forehead.  
  
“I always loved you, and will always love you forever.”  
  
He sighed and turned over to walk away.  
  
When the door closed, the woman turned to where Yabu disappeared and a tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
“Kou ... you grew up into a very undeniable great person. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.“  
  
The closed door didn’t give her any respond. It kept silent, leaving Yabu Kouta outside of it, made him deaf of the words.  
  
_We’re waiting at the Central Park._  
  
Yabu sighed at the message. He put his phone back to his pocket and turned over when he saw a familiar figure was turning and lost from his sight.  
  
_Keito? What is he doing here?_  
  
He decided to follow him silently. The said person was walking firmly along the corridor, greeted the nurses and doctors passed by.  
  
_He looks like he was used to be in this place. Everybody greets him like they knew him for long time._  
  
He almost stopped when he stepped out of the building. The beautiful scenery welcomed him, amazed him, and made him gape unconsciously.  
  
“The park is very beautiful, sir. Even in Winter, we still can see the prettiness of it. I believe you will lost your words when you come here in Spring.”  
  
He suddenly remembered what the front officer told him and he agreed her right away now.  
  
_This is really beautiful. I didn’t try to even look out of the window when I came here few times ago with Takaki. We just went straight to our destination and left right away when we got what we wanted. I should tell Takaki what I saw today. I bet he will regret and wail for not looking out of the window too._  
  
He took out of his phone and took some pictures of the scenery and promised himself to show it to Takaki when he met him later in the park.  
  
“It’s really beautiful day, isn’t it?”  
  
Yabu turned over and a nurse was smiling widely to him.  
  
“Yes, it is.”  
  
“Can I help you, sir?”  
  
Yabu hesitated slightly but then he decided that there’s nothing to loose to ask.  
  
“I ... am looking for a friend of mine. I saw him walked in the corridor when I walked out of the second building over there,” He pointed at the building where he came from. “but I lost him. He’s tall, and ... mm ..., has a friendly aura around him, ... mmm ..., I mean ...“  
  
“You mean Keito?”  
  
Yabu blinked at the question but nodded right away. “Yes, him.”  
  
The nurse smiled. “He’s quite popular here, sir. He’s kind, always smile, and you know, beautiful. Every nurse here knew him and we kind of have competition to get his heart. We tried our best to get his attention but I guess it’s useless. He’s too focused with his father.”  
  
“His ... father?” His breath hitched.  
  
She gave him a sign to follow her so Yabu obediently followed her. They stopped when they finally found Keito was sitting in front of a middle-aged man.  
  
“His name is Okamoto Keniichi. He was admitted here around three years ago. His son brought him in. He got Alzheimer.”  
  
Yabu’ eyes widened.  
  
_So that’s why you always disappear when we have no duty. You always came here to see your father. You’ve found him._  
  
“What stage?”  
  
“The worst, He starts to forget what to do. I’m sorry.”  
  
Yabu looked at the father and son and his heart torn to pieces when he saw the middle aged man threw every spoon of the soup he took away.  
  
“No no no. It’s not like that.” Keito gently took the spoon and feed him carefully. “This is the food, and you have to eat it, okay, not throw it away.”  
  
The middle aged man looked at him in wonder. “Who are you?”  
  
Keito smiled. “It’s Keito. Kei – to. And I am your son.”  
  
The question stabbed him hard deep inside him but he coulnd’t see the hurt shown on the younger’s face. He was still smiling, feeding him carefully like if he did it roughly, even a slight, the man would break into pieces. Yabu closed his eyes tightly and wondered how could Keito handle it for years without giving them any sign of hurt and sadness.  



	18. People From The Past

“Yabu!”   
  
He snapped and looked up to receive a silent question formed in Takaki’s eyes. He turned to Inoo and Hikaru, and found the same.   
  
“Are you okay, Yabu? You’ve been out since you arrived. Where have you been?”   
  
He looked to Hikaru who gave him a concern look, made him feel guilty so sudden for not giving them attention at all. His mind was still full of the pictures where Keito was trying hard to deal with his father’s illness. How he suppressed himself from crying in front of him, how he tried to keep smiling when he knew that his heart was scattered.   
  
“I’m fine. Where should we go?”   
  
“It’s next block. Let’s go.”   
  
He once again turned when he felt a caress in his arm and found a silent question from Inoo. He smiled and nodded to assure him that he’s fine. He knew Inoo wouldn’t believe him but at least the latter wouldn’t ask him more. He would let him be until he told him by himself.   
  
Usually he was the one who did the talk in the front office but his mind was out all the time and he didn’t realize that the rest of them shook their head on him and decided to take over the charge. Everything went smoothly in the front office but then Hikaru stiffened when he found Takaki bit his lower lip along the way to the president office.   
  
_Something’s up._  
  
He looked around when they got out of the elevator, made Inoo realized that something was wrong, alarmed him to stay alert.   
  
“We won’t get attacked, right?” He leaned to Hikaru and almost whispered his question to the latter.   
  
Hikaru looked at him and raised his eyebrows despite of giving him an answer.   
  
“You just went to investigate the last time but they attacked you. Are we going to get attacked too now?”   
  
Hikaru blinked his eyes at the question. “Why do you think we will be attacked?”   
  
Inoo sighed. “You look worry of something. Forget about Yabu but Takaki is too silent too. He’s not talking since we entered the building.”   
  
Hikaru looked to the front and found Takaki was drowning to an uneasiness he tried to suppress. He gulped. “Ho doesn’t say anything, so I guess it’s okay. He will tell us if he thinks it’s dangerous enough for us to continue. He will force us to leave if it needs.”   
  
He curved his lip upward. Usually Takaki was doing a fieldwork, and never ever even once he joined the investigation. _It’s complicated and boring_. He always said that every time Yabu tried to include him in.   
  
_Not just Ryu, he must feel something is not right with all of the cases lately, that’s why he gladly joined us doing this boring part of our job._  
  
“I still can’t believe it, you know?”   
  
Hikaru turned at him, and it seemed he was the only one who did it because Takaki and Yabu looked deeply drown to their own thoughts.   
  
“What?”   
  
“The last contact, where you should follow him ran away along the building. It’s just …, it’s more like …, I don’t know. It’s more logical to me if you say that he has a six sense.”   
  
Hikaru smiled widely.   
  
“And Ryu’s instinct is gotten sharpen each day. It scared me though because I feel like watching him growing too big in a very short time. It’s not right, you know. Everyone should take one step at once to grow but he was like taking three steps at once. It’s not normal.”   
  
Hikaru chuckled. “You just feel like getting old too soon watching those kids grew up fast right in front of your eyes. The sudden knowing of Yuya’s ability to sense the danger around him, which now you know how it works. According to Yamada, it’s not a six sense like we always think all these times, but it’s because he heard his mother’s voice, which tells him to run, just like years ago in that shooting incident. Then, Ryu’s instinct which is gotten sharper each day as you just said, the bratty Yuri which lately started to get on our nerve, the calm Yuto which suddenly turned to the hyper one and suddenly interested on making bombs. That one is scary though. Moreover, it’s complicated for all of us because none of us knew Daiki’s past, even until now. We keep digging but nothing. He was like, suddenly popped up to this world just like that. It’s definitely impossible but we found nothing even when we scratched everything related to him.”   
  
He breathed heavily, silently agreed him. He was desperately trying to find anything about Daiki’s past but nothing came out. Not even a slight clue. He tried to scratch every information in his orphanage just to find nothing. He’s just another unlucky baby that was thrown to the orphanage from an unknown place and unknown parent. He lived his life like the other, like him too, like everyone in the house, like every kid raised in an orphanage. Loneliness swallowed them every night.   
  
Inoo furrowed his eyebrows when something flashed in his mind.   
  
_We don’t know anything about Hikaru, too. I found nothing when I tried to find his past. I bet the other didn’t find anything too because I never hear anyone spill anything about him._  
  
He looked up to see the broad back in front of him slightly slumped.   
  
_Even Takaki, who came from the same orphanage with him always keeps his mouth shut if we start to talk about Hikaru._  
  
He almost tickled his head and furrowed his eyebrows again at the sight in front of him. He didn’t know why but he felt something was different with the older today.   
  
_No. It’s not today. It’s just when we entered the building. It’s in the lobby exactly. Did he hear something? Like the other said before?_  
  
“However, the good thing is that Yamada was trying to open up. He starts to blend with us more and ask us more questions. You feel like you’re watching your children growing up.”   
  
Inoo put aside his thought right away and threw him a glare but no more.   
  
“Aw, come on Inoo-Chan. Whether you realized it or not, you acted like our mother all these times. You took care of us like we are your children. We don’t mind, though, more than glad actually because most of us don’t know how it feels of having a mother. You gave us that part and we’re glad for having a very good mother like you.” Hikaru grinned widely at the last comment.   
  
He should be mad with the statement but he didn’t. He even completely ignored it. He looked straight ahead and saw Takaki’s back again.   
  
“Always including Takaki to be part of the observers for recent observations, that brat must feel something big is targeting us.”   
  
Hikaru smiled and shook his head but said nothing. He felt himself shivered lately every time Ryu stared at them before they departed. There’s something in his eyes, something he didn’t want to say loudly, something he himself didn’t want to hear, something everyone else realized from the complaint he didn’t hear for the last assignment. They just obediently followed everything he had instructed.   
  
“But Takaki is still the most amazing thing for me. Are you sure it’s not a six sense?” Inoo turned to see Hikaru rolled his eyes to answer him.   
  
“Inoo-Chan, believe me. You kept asking it to me since you heard the story. Could you change the topic, please? You start to give me goosebumps.”   
  
Inoo shook his head. “I am feeling the goosebumps imagining he could hear the voice of a dead person. It’s really more comfortable to me if you said that he has a six sense.”   
  
“That dead person is his mother, Inoo-Chan.”   
  
Inoo shivered slightly. “Whatever you say, I still couldn’t get how he could hear it. Dead person is died. How could they say something to alive?”   
  
Once again, Hikaru could only roll his eyes while shaking his head. He patted Takaki’s shoulder, made him turned to him right away.   
  
“Do you hear it?”   
  
“What?” Takaki raised his eyebrows for the question, but then a sudden thought flashed in his mind when he saw Hikaru stared at him intently. He shook his head. “No. it’s alright.”   
  
Hikaru furrowed his eyebrows. So far he could remember, Takaki was always biting his lower lip when he felt nervous, for any reason, but he said he didn’t hear anything so he guessed everything was going as smooth as they felt. However, he was still confused with the uneasiness that suddenly appeared in his heard while looking at the older who tried hard to focus to the job, despite of the nervousness he felt since a while.   
  
“Something’s wrong?” Inoo leaned to him and almost whispered the question, again.   
  
Hikaru turned to him and shook his head. “Like I’ve said before, he said he didn’t hear it so I guess it’s alright. It means it is safe for us to do our job now. Let’s hope he won’t hear it today so we don’t have to run away to get out of the building like the last time we did.”   
  
Inoo nodded, tried not to ask him more because he looked a slight of doubt in his voice.   
  
They were stunned when they met with the president of the company. She was completely different from what they had imagined. All the president of the company they knew was always trying to look elegant and charismatic, or at least try to look good for their first impression with their client, but this one was really different.   
  
Yes, she was slim. She was also tall, and they also did not even notice there was a bit of fat on her body. It was something great for an old woman. She must have made great efforts to make herself stayed slender until now.   
  
Her sense of fashion was also very good. She looked gorgeous in her light-colored blazer that actually looked a bit too tight for a woman of her age, but at least she looked comfortable. It made her looked perfect. She looked great, and all the four of them vowed that she must be very beautiful when she was young. The only flaw of her was that she wore a very thick make up to the fact that she was too old to do that.   
  
Takaki silently kicked Hikaru when the latter couldn’t hold his smile. He glared at him when he found his lips were still twitched, made Hikaru bit inside of his cheek to hold his laugh.   
  
“This is the fourth time I received this kind of letter.”   
  
Her voice was very soft but firm. Hikaru blinked his eyes, didn’t believe what he had heard.   
  
_How could she have that soft voice? It doesn’t suit her at all!_  
  
Yabu took the letter. It said _Someone is going to stab you from behind._  
  
“You showed this to anyone else?”   
  
“I’m not that stupid, young man.” She rolled her chair and turned to the wide window behind her. She stood up and walked over the window and looked out to the sky which started to look almost blue. “It’s almost spring. I believe the cherry will bloom soon.” She turned to them again. “I want to see the cherry blooms this spring so I don’t want to die yet. That’s why I call you. Do whatever you can to find this one and bring this person to me alive. I want to see the face of the person who wants to betray me.”   
  
Her voice was still soft yet deep until they could sense the demand on it. They couldn’t read her easily like they always did. Her expression was flat. She didn’t show any feeling on her face, nor her gestures. She looked calm enough for a person who was being threatened from an unknown source.   
  
Inoo reached for the other letters and read it carefully, tried hard to find something.   
  
_Someone is watching you._  
  
_You’d better be careful with your steps._  
  
_Watch your back._  
  
There’s nothing. He found no clue from the letters. He looked up to the woman who was till staring at them intently. “Can I have the list of your employees? All of them.”   
  
“It’s over there. You can search everything from there.” She pointed at bookshelf on the right. She walked over and took one of the books, made the shelf turned and half opened.   
  
Hikaru whistled at the sight in front of him. They stepped into the room and looked around, slightly impressed and almost gaped.   
  
A wide semicircular console as the base of one-way communication and research displayed in front of them. The wall facing the console filled with small screens that display all the activity on the various floors in the building, especially in public places where many people passing by in the building.   
  
“All the computers in this building are connected to this main computer.”   
  
“You can check all of the rooms?”   
  
“I can if I want. I just have to resetting it to the room I want to check. Basically, there’s at least one bug in every room in this building, but I don’t peek at every room every minute because I want to give them a little privacy. And no, no one knew about this.” She raised her finger up to stop Hikaru’s question before he could voice it out. “It was almost ten years ago when I create this room, with the help of some friends which I believe I could trust them.”   
  
“Can we have their names? Your friends who helped you to create this room?”   
  
She looked at Inoo and stunned for a while. “You don’t think that it’s one of them.”   
  
Inoo smiled slightly, and walked to the console and started to type. “We don’t know yet. But the basic search of a blackmailing is that you can’t leave even a single name.”   
  
The woman looked at him in silence for a moment and then walked back to her office. Hikaru followed her while Yabu and Takaki were staying in the room. He looked at the woman who was writing down on her book before tore it and gave him the piece.   
  
“There are four of them. They were my high school friends.”   
  
Hikaru read the paper. His eyes stopped at one name but then shook his head and walked back to the room. He handed the paper to Yabu who kept it right away to his pocket.   
  
Inoo stood up and smiled at the woman. “I took everything I need. We will investigate this in our base. Call us when you get another letter, or something weird happen. Anything.”   
  
“Okay. I hope you can find it soon. I don’t like this uneasy feeling you know.”   
  
“We will send two of ours here, to watch everything around you, two more in your house, and be your driver. Is it okay for you?”   
  
The woman sighed in relief. “Of course I’m okay with that. When will you start it?”   
  
“As soon as you can think, Ma’am.” Yabu smiled widely.   
  
“You know what?” The woman crossed her arms on her chest and smirked. “I wish you send people as gorgeous as you. Or, don’t you want to be my bodyguards? I can pay you three times from your current salary.”   
  
The four of them stiffened at the offer. They shivered at their own imagination. Takaki even slightly stepped back from his place but said nothing.   
  
“I guess we’ll take our leave, ma’am. Our men will come soon to you before you realize it.” Yabu bowed before turned over and took his steps as fast as he could, followed by the other.   
  
They sighed heavily once they got into the elevator.   
  
“She’s scary.” Hikaru shivered.   
  
The rest didn’t react but they agreed him in silent, because some people walked into the elevator from each floor until they reached the main lobby. The door of the elevator opened and half of the people walked out of it together with them, and darted straightly to the main door.   
  
The lobby was packed because the work hour had ended. People walked over the room, mostly to the main door. Hikaru looked around and his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure. He gulped and looked down to the floor he stepped and didn’t dare to look up again. His shoulder slumped and he had to suppress his urge to fasten his step as they walked pass the main door. He wanted to go home right away.   
  
Takaki took a glance to the slightly trembling Hikaru in the backside of the car through the rear mirror. There’s something suddenly flashed in his mind but he tried to suppress himself from interrogating him. There’s Yabu beside him, who was still concentrate with Inoo’s PDA, and he didn’t want to make Inoo’s curiosity rose up. It’s enough for him to be questioned about Hikaru’s change attitude after the founding of his parent, and he didn’t want to trouble himself to be questioned more about his best friend.   
  
It was late at night when he decided to tiptoe to Hikaru’s room. He looked over to see that no one saw him before opening Hikaru’s door carefully, tried hard not to make any sound that would wake the other up.   
  
He saw a bundle of blanket on the bed. Carefully he walked over and sat on the bed, touched the bundle and felt it stiffened.   
  
“Did you see him too?” Takaki whispered while caressing the bundle.   
  
No answer. The bundle didn’t move too.   
  
“He won’t harm you again, trust me.”   
  
This time he got a reaction. Slowly the blanket parted and the nervous Hikaru looked at him with uneasiness. “I thought ... we killed him.” His voice hitched.   
  
Takaki sighed. He sat down the floor and leaned on the bed, recalled the old memory he tried to bury deep down inside his mind. “I thought too.”   
  
Hikaru got up from the bed and sat beside him. “Is this why you felt uneasy along the way in the building?”   
  
Takaki sighed and chuckled bitterly. “You saw it?”   
  
“I thought we would run again like the last time but you said you didn’t hear it. I saw you bit your lip all the times so I know that you felt something.”   
  
Silent swallowed them when they stopped talking. The eerie atmosphere of the night slightly shivered them, made Hikaru shifted closer to the older. He didn’t like the feeling at all.   
  
“Where did you see him?”   
  
“In the lobby when we entered the first time. He was sitting with some men in the corner and they were in some kind of deep conversation so I guess he didn’t see me.”   
  
“Do you think he will recognize us if he see us?”   
  
Takaki reached his hand and ruffled Hikaru’s back head. “Inoo-Kun once said that I changed a lot. Maybe he won’t recognize me. You changed too, but you still have the expression that it’s you. I don’t know. Let’s hope he won’t recognize you too.”   
  
Hikaru gulped hard. He breathed heavily, trying hard to ease his feeling.   
  
“What should we do now?”   
  
Takaki bit his lip hard, tried to find the answer but nothing came to his mind, so he shook his head.   
  
“Nothing.”   
  
Hikaru kept silence in his place. He couldn’t think anything too. His mind stopped working since he saw the person he thought had died years ago smiled widely at him, alive.   
  
“But if he tried to touch you again, even a single finger, I will kill him. And this time I will make sure that I kill him for sure.”   
  
Hikaru stayed silence. He wanted to do that too but he knew that he wouldn’t able to do it. He would be stoned in the place when he saw him again, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Like years ago.   



	19. The Hurt

“I found something!” Ryu suddenly burst out of the door and came to Inoo on the couch right away. “I found something suspicious with her high school friends.”   
  
Inoo reached for Ryu’s PDA and started to observe what the youngest had found. Everyone in the room could see his eyes glittered and a slight smile tugged on his lips when he started to tap the keyboard fast. Not long after, he stood up and walked to the corner of the room where his stuffs were spreading on a very large table. He connected the PDA to the printer and it started to throw up the papers all over the floor. Some of them stood up, and gathered the papers, and put them in order on a board, and let Yabu observed them.   
  
“There’re two big transactions on one of their account, and they’re around the time where she had received the letters.” Yabu pointed out at a paper. “Then the money was transferred to the other’s accounts equally two days later.”   
  
“The source?” Daiki raised his eyebrows.   
  
“I’m still trying to track it~” Inoo sang a song from the corner. Everybody could see that he was enjoying his search very much and some of them could only shake their head and chuckled lightly in wonder.   
  
“How many people again are they?”   
  
Yabu looked at Yuri silently for a moment before realizing that he didn’t give them the specific information about their targets. He went to the wall and switched the light off. He showed them a picture of a middle-aged man.   
  
“They’re four men. This is Sato Takayuki, forty-nine years old. He was a soldier until three years ago when he resigned for a personal problem. He is working in a delivery service down town as a driver now, and living in a small flat down town. One look, you will only see a middle-aged man who is trying to survive in this crazy life. He always comes to work on time, and will call his office if he is going to be late. He is very nice to his neighborhood, too.”   
  
“But look can be deceiving.” Yamada commented flatly.   
  
Yabu looked at him and then to the rest and sighed when once again he realized his stupid mistake. He went to the next picture.   
  
“This one is Takagi Mamoru, he’s forty-four, and currently is working as a game maker in World Wide Company.”   
  
“World Wide Company?” Daiki snapped. “Takaki, can you explain something to us why this company is showing up again in front of us?” Daiki turned to him and narrowed his eyes at the older that rolled his eyes at his question.   
  
“Why the hell are you asking me that question? How would I know why this company is showing up again in front of us?”   
  
“You have Yui there, and she’s the daughter of its president. Doesn’t she say something suspicious with her next to be company? Anything?”   
  
Once again, the older rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. “Please, for God sakes, if she could smell something suspicious then those people aren’t pros.”   
  
Daiki curved his lips up and nodded slightly many times. “Hm, sounds reasonable enough. Why don’t you call her and tell her to warn her father about this suspicious man of his company?”   
  
“Daiki, that’s not a good idea I believe, to tell her about this man. Knowing Yui, she will curiously try to find everything related to him, that will bring her once again into a dangerous situation, and once again pulls this young man,” Yamada pointed at Takaki who looked at him curiously, “into a dangerous situation because he will try his best to protect her now, and will once again put us into a mess like the last time when he got shot for saving me, so the answer is no. Yabu, can you continue this?”   
  
Yabu sighed heavily and went to the next picture while Daiki was slightly pouting at Yamada’s long flat explanation, which he couldn’t retort back as it was reasonable enough for everybody to understand.   
  
Takaki looked at Yamada who looked back at him in silence. The older smiled, slightly smirked at him, made him slightly cursed under his breath when he saw the older pointed at his cheek, indicated that he saw something on it.   
  
“Shut up!” He muttered lowly and glared at him to receive a wide smirk at the older’s face. He turned to the picture to avoid the older’s bully and slightly hid the half of his face with one hand.   
  
“No one will suspect this person of doing something bad because he is smiley, kind to everybody, always trying to do his work as how it should be, and you can ask everyone knows him to find that he never gets mad at everybody for everything.”   
  
Hikaru whistled loudly. “I bet everybody considered him as a perfect innocent, or more likely, an angel?” He raised his right eyebrow.   
  
“Isn’t it scarier to be faced with such person?” Yuri was staring intently to the picture, and grew shivering as he kept staring on it. “I prefer to avoid that kind of person. And if I have to make any contact with one of them, I won’t take long conversation. I will end it as soon as I can and run away to save my life. Honestly, I don’t like him at all.” He pointed at the picture.   
  
Hikaru gave him a thumb and received a wide smile from the shortest.   
  
“The next is Yanagiba Satoru, and he’s forty-two. He’s the youngest among them and he’s working as one of the maintenance department in EXO Incorporation.”   
  
“Again?” Ryutaro raised his eyebrows. “Why are they keeping appearing in front of us?”   
  
“Maybe they love us?” Hikaru and Yuri said almost together, made the two of them looked at each other and clapped their hands together at the end.   
  
“Wow, perhaps we should consider ourselves as a twin because we have a same thought?” Hikaru turned to Yuri and the younger nodded furiously as an agreement.   
  
“One heart and one soul, Hika-Chan.”   
  
Nobody saw that Hikaru stiffened at the sudden given the nickname, but he forced a wide smile to response Yuri.   
  
Yabu shook his head to both of them. “As any other of the maintenance keeper, he is a silent, no much talking, but not gloomy. He is kind to everybody in the company, a loyal one, easy going, always trying to help people around him when it needed, and you won’t be surprised if everybody in the company said that he is a lovable.”   
  
“You can’t read peoples’ heart. We don’t know what they hide inside their mind.” Yamada said flatly again and everybody in the room smiled amusedly at his comment.   
  
“And the last one is Murata Takeru. He is forty-eight, and was a spy for police department for his whole life. He was suspended around twenty years ago which resulted his resigning. One source indicated that he is currently working as a spy again but this time for a higher position. We can’t get more than that, but he is the leader of this group.”   
  
Hikaru stiffened at the picture. He looked away and met with the assuring look at Takaki’s eyes, as if he was saying that he would do anything to protect him, made him feel ease and paid back his attention to Yabu, but still couldn’t look at the picture. He felt like the picture was staring him back and ready to strangle him.   
  
“Who sent the letter?” Yuri asked curiously at the oldest who switch on the lamp again.   
  
“No fingerprints found in the letters so we don’t have any clue. It could be one of those four.”   
  
“Or one of the people under those four.” Inoo snapped from his table, made everyone turned at him with question drawn all over their face. He smiled widely to them. “They contacted some people last week who contacted more people right away. I guess we’re not dealing with just those four but a large organized underground group. I’m still trying to find something because I don’t know why I always got stuck in an important part of my research and always hit the wall so I guess we are dealing with something big here. So, I suggest we should be more careful because we don’t know anything about our enemy right now.”   
  
“No way.” Ryutaro muttered to himself. He face palmed his face and leaned to Takaki who was sitting comfortably on the couch behind him. “This becomes more complicated. I hate this.”   
  
“Any word from the uppers?” Yabu turned at their youngest member.   
  
Ryutaro bit his lips and sighed heavily. He straightened himself but then slumped. “I feel something odd with them lately.”   
  
Everybody looked at him right away and clearly saw the uneasiness again.   
  
“What do you mean?” Yamada’s voice sternly demanded him an explanation.   
  
“I feel like they’re hiding something. They gave me limitation when they gave the order. Just do this and let us do the rest. So far they said that three times already to me and made me feel unease all the times.”   
  
_That’s why you always tell us to wear the bulletproof vest all the time. You felt something is really wrong, and it’s our lucky that we were obediently following your request._   
  
All of them thought the same as the reaction. They couldn’t say anything. They lost their words.   
  
“Any word from Keito or Yuto?” Yabu threw a worried look at him.   
  
“No. The last time I called them, they said everything is under control. There is nothing suspicious, and everything is moving as the way it is. It’s just another boring day according to the president.”   
  
“I never ... “  
  
It’s a blow, which stopped Yuri from continuing his words. They suddenly ducked deeply on the floor. Inoo took all the important files he needed and reached for the PDA before went down the table.   
  
Yamada shifted closer to the couch and reached for the cushion folds. He flipped one of them and took out the guns. He threw them one by one to the rest and look at Yabu who gave him a sign to move out of the room. With Hikaru behind him, he tried to move as silent as he could to the corridor and stopped abruptly when Hikaru pulled him down to the floor right before bullets showered them like a heavy rain from outside.   
  
“Get back here!”   
  
They heard Yabu yelled at them and without a second thought they shifted again carefully to the room where the others were staying.   
  
“I guess the front part of the house has down. They have caliber fifty.”   
  
“What?” Takaki snapped and ducked again when Yabu pulled him right after the rapid shots were firing again.   
  
Hikaru peeked through the slightly opened door and heard everything was crashing in the front part of the house. He sighed heavily when he realized that he had his loving cat statue on the small table in the corner of the living room. “It’s M2, fifty caliber machine gun. Oh, shit! It must be broken already.”   
  
Takaki wanted to ask more but then he realized what he meant. He rolled his eyes and smirked. “I still wonder how you could love that statue when you really hate cat.”   
  
“It’s just a statue. It won’t bite. Besides, I got it from Mika-Chan, and she passed away one year ago. I guess I won’t get the replacement.” He smiled suddenly when a thought flashed in his mind. “Should I ask compensation to them? For breaking my thing?”   
  
“Mika-Chan is weird too for giving you that thing. Sorry, Mika-Chan, please rest in peace. Your orphanage is in the right hand right now, you don’t have to be worried. Just enjoy your staying in heaven.” Takaki looked up lifted his right hand to slightly make a little pray.   
  
“Forget about your loving statue and your lovely Mika-Chan, and your stupid idea about the compensation. We have to get out of here now.” Daiki snorted loudly.   
  
“Back door.” Yabu pointed slightly at the backside of the house but then Inoo stopped him.   
  
“No. Looking at the rapid fire from the front, they want us to go to the back door. They must be waiting for us there. Basement.”   
  
Without more command, all of them shifted carefully to the basement, trying hard not to make any sound as they could in the process. They went to the kitchen, where the door to the basement was located. Daiki almost ran to the cupboard and tried to push it.   
  
“Help me.”   
  
Takaki, Hikaru, and Yabu helped him to push the cupboard and they breathed heavily when a door appeared on the floor.   
  
Daiki reached the knife from a cabinet, and used it to pry the door located on the floor. When it opened, he commanded them to get into the basement fast before closed it again.   
  
Yabu look around the basement.   
  
_It’s too dark._   
  
When he wanted to voice out his mind, a light was suddenly shining on his face, made him narrowed his eyes and backed away. “For God sakes, Daiki. This isn’t the time for joking.”   
  
The light moved to Daiki and everybody could see his wide smile. “I prepared everything in this room. You want food, it’s over there.” He pointed to the little cabinet pressed to the wall before moving the torch to the right. “You want to sleep? I had prepared sleeping bags over there. You want to waste your time? I’ve set a shelf full of funny stories over there. You want to take a shower? I ‘ve set a pipe connected directly from the water tank.” He moved the torch here and there as his explanation was went on.   
  
“Are you Mario the plumber?” Hikaru snorted amazingly.   
  
“We need to get out of here.” Inoo snapped lightly.   
  
Once again the torch directed to his own face and presented his wide smile again before moving to his far right direction. “It’s over there. You know the way.”   
  
“Let’s go.”   
  
They moved with Daiki in the front holding the torch. The light was dancing through a narrow hallway that only could be passed by one person, until finally they reached the end. They saw small steels planted to the wall as a permanent ladder from the bottom until it reached the roof, ended with a round thing they knew as a sewer manhole cover.   
  
They moved upward one by one with Hikaru on the top of the ladder. He pushed the sewer manhole cover slightly and peeked. When he was sure there’s nobody out there watching, he opened it and moved out, followed by the others.   
  
Soon after they got out of the hole, they moved fast to hide among bushes beside the street. There, they could hear clearly the rapid fire.   
  
“We can’t go back there again.” Yabu shook his head in disbelief. He bit his lip bitterly. The house was the precious place for them. They had been living in it for almost seven years. It was full of memories and it felt so heavy watching it down in no time.   
  
Everybody felt the same. They looked at their house that was fired continuously from a distance. They faintly heard some parts of the house broke, and fell. Their heart crushed, fell one by one along with the destruction of their house. It was too hurt to say something. It felt like a part of them torn right out of them. They didn’t ready for it. They didn’t prepare to have the kind of feeling. They felt like they lost their life.   
  
They stunned when the fire stopped. The eerie atmosphere suddenly surrounded them. Some of them shivered at the sudden fear swallowed them. Yuri slowly reached for Takaki and slightly gripped his sleeve. Ryutaro gulped and couldn’t hide his fear. He blatantly grabbed Yabu’s hand, trying to find a little peace so that he could appease his heart which was suddenly beating hard. Yabu didn’t need to see it to know how he felt. He could feel the shaking hand clutched hard to his. He grabbed it back and held the trembling hand tightly.   
  
“Let’s go.” Inoo hissed and all of them took steps back before turning away and ran as fast as they could. They ran along the small forest. No one whined to stop, and no one dared to ask something. They kept silent along the way, still mourning with the down of their house, and tried to keep all of the memories they had in the house since the very beginning, and promised themselves not to ever forget every single memory they’ve made, every corner of the rooms, and every part of the house. The house was precious. It gathered them into the undeniable closeness. It was the place where they could be their own selves. It was the safest place in the world for them, until it was down.   
  
Some of them wiped the tears hanging on their eyes, trying not to let them drop even a single, and silently promised that they would seek revenge. They would look for people who destroyed their home. They promised not to let them go easily. They would find them and paid back what they did to them. They had taken the most important thing they owned. They wouldn’t let them away.   
  
Undirected winding path in the forest didn’t make them gave up. They kept running, and running until they reached the end of the forest. They stopped in panting in front of an empty road, and before they could manage to observe the situation, a van stopped in front of them and a familiar face showed up.   
  
“Get in!”   
  
Without hesitation, they went into the van and when the door closed, the driver drove away, leaving no trace of them in the place.   
  
They almost jolted when they heard a blow and together they turned to the backside to take a look. They held their breath right away when they saw clouds of smoke rising from the direction in which they highly believe was their home. Some of them gritted their teeth, holding their anger that suddenly stifling them. Ryutaro turned to the front again and suddenly ducked. He placed his head between his legs and closed his eyes tightly. He felt nausea attacked him so sudden. He held his stomach hard, tried to prevent himself from vomiting.   
  
“Please, can you stop for a while?” Inoo asked the driver, almost pleadingly while caressing Ryutaro’s back.   
  
The car stopped and Takaki, who sat nearest the door, pushed it open and slightly dragged Ryutaro to go out of the van. The youngest of them almost jumped to the very end of the road and threw everything out of his stomach.   
  
“His parents died in an explosion. Their house was bombed and no one been suspected until now.” The driver explained to the person sat beside him.   
  
“Oh, I see. I thought he has a carsick. Let’s wait until he got better then. We've been away from your home, and I guess they may not pursue us even though they try to speeding. Our distance is too far.”   
  
_Home._   
  
The hurt stung deeply to their heart.   
  
Ryutaro gripped his own hands tightly. He tried hard to stand but wobbled as he couldn’t really feel his legs. Takaki caught him right away and leaned him entirely to him. Everyone could clearly see his pale face.   
  
Inoo immediately reached for him when he sat next to him again, he laid his head on his lap, stroking his head, hoping to help him to ease his feeling.   
  
“Where are we going?” Finally, Yamada voiced out his mind.   
  
The person who sat in the passenger seat looked back at them and smiled widely. “To my house, the safest place in the world.”   



	20. A New Home?

A huge gate opened and revealed a very huge house painted in a light green in the middle of a very large garden full of trees. Everybody looked out of the window when the car slowly moved in to the front door where a figure waited for all of them with worry was drawn all over his face.   
  
“Yuto!” Yuri chirped when finally he went out of the car, slightly clung to his arm and smiled in relieve for knowing the tallest of them was fine.   
  
He breathed heavily. “Thanks God, you’re fine. Tell me that nobody’s hurt.”   
  
“We got away through the basement, and met them after we ran across the forest. Too bad we lost the house.” Yamada looked at him without expression.   
  
“The most important thing is that you’re safe. All of you. We can buy another house, or build it, and fulfilling it with new memories. There’s no need to get sad about that.”   
  
“Come on. Let’s get inside. It will be more comfortable if you talk about everything inside.”   
  
All of them turned to the voice and still couldn’t believe that they were just being saved by that middle-aged woman, the president woman, the one who had asked them to solve about her blackmailing problem, in reverse, was just saving them from the people who was or were trying to kill them.   
  
She smiled understandingly. “Come on, forget all those stupid rules. Yes, I did hire you to protect me from all the dangers threaten me, but you lose your base as the result. By the time I came, I only intended to save my protectors, and had absolutely no intentions of others. I can help you to protect me so I guess this is mutual to us. And please, no contact you uppers now because I smelt something suspicious about this.”   
  
Everyone stared intently to her, who casually walked into the house. The boys obediently followed her, more as if curious about what she had just said.   
  
_What does she mean?_   
  
They stared each other with the same question in their mind.   
  
“Think about this,” As understood about what they were thinking, she began to explain. “Your house is listed as a commoner house, just like the other houses in this country. It’s hidden in the mountain side. People will see it as a plain house built in the deep side of a mountain to gain fresh air, or the calm atmosphere, or you just want to live this life peacefully with no air pollution, needing of a silent place with not much voice of vehicles passing by, you know, typical of quiet people. Only few people knew about your actual job, and I bet you knew them too as the reverse, which means that they are the same unit from the same group of yours.”   
  
They started to get what the woman tried to explain. Some of them took seat on the sofas in the room.   
  
“Your job didn’t come straightly to you but it was always coming through an office down town, which is camouflaged as a detective office, with two clerks and one fake detective.”   
  
Now, everybody could immediately deduce what the woman intended.   
  
“Then how the outsiders could blow up your house? I could pull some hypothesizes for that. One, perhaps there is a leakage, which is I believe it’s impossible because of the secrecy you’re trying to keep. I admit that you’re really great with that. Two, someone leaked out the secret data to someone outside, which means, there’s one of you who did it, and once again it’s really impossible. Why? I saw you and I’ve been watching since I hired you and trust me, you’ve got my full trust in a second. I have a sharp instinct for your information, and I tell you that I don’t smell anything suspicious on each of you.”   
  
The boys looked at each other and some of them rolled their eyes in the process.   
  
“Let’s say that you are really in the dark about the story of how your house ended blown up so I suggest you to stay silence and pretend that you had already disappeared. Trust me. They won’t believe that easy that you had died in the explosion. They’re not that stupid, you know. They know that you won’t die that easy in that little attack, and you do realize that too, so you have to stay hidden no matter what.”   
  
“Forget about Keito who was driving the van, but how do you know that we were under attack? You came at the right time and that suspicious enough for me.” Yamada darted his eyes straight to the woman, demanding her brief explanation about her presence in their meeting place.   
  
She smiled wickedly and stood up from the couch. “It will be useless even if I’m trying to explain you briefly so, follow me, please.”   
  
They looked at each other before one by one they followed where the woman led them. It was upstairs and right in front of the end of the stairs. The woman opened the door and invited all of them to come in. It’s just a plain room with some couches all over the room, and pictures hanging on the wall. The woman shifted one picture on the very corner and the wall behind it suddenly opened, startled and alerted them. Then everybody almost gaped at the sight in front of them when they entered the secret room.   
  
“Wow! This is better than the one in your office.” Hikaru whistled loudly.   
  
“This isn’t just better. This much better than the one I saw in the base.” Ryutaro stepped forward and sat on the chair in front of the console.   
  
“Eh? You’ve entered the base?”   
  
“Yes, once.” Ryutaro started typing something on the keyboard in front of him and the screens on the wall in front of him began to show the pictures he wanted.   
  
They fell silent instantly when the biggest screen on the wall showing images of what was referred to as the rest of their home. A mound of stone and brick smashed into something unrecognizable.   
  
“That is our house.” Yuri mumbled teary.   
  
“Was.” Yamada corrected him. “As Yuto said, we can buy another one soon, in another place, list it with another name which nobody will expect that it is ours.”   
  
They silently agreed him. However, inside their heart, they couldn’t lie that they felt the loss. It had been seven years, and it wasn’t a short time for them to live in it. So many memories left in the building. It was like a home where they kept all the memory that occurred during their last seven years. The years in which they finally had something they referred to as a family.   
  
“How do you know that we were being attacked?” Yamada suddenly turned to her again.   
  
The woman smiled as if she had expected for such question.   
  
“I was just boring and scrolling down when I saw my old friends from high school were driving in a suspicious black van. I paid attention closely to them, not even averting my eyes off them. When they stopped in a gas station, I zoomed the camera and saw the weapon. I don’t know what it called and too lazy to find out what kind of weapon it is but I knew that it was deadly. I enlarged the location nearby and found out that your house was in the direction where they went.”   
  
“How do you know that it is our house?”   
  
“It listed as Kurosaki Yamato’s house. I searched the name but found nothing. I felt curious and searched more, and in some files, I saw you entered and drove out from the house many times.”   
  
“So far I remember she yelled at me and pulled me to drive the van to the house.” Keito cut them nonchalantly. “I’ve tried to ask her why we use this van and not the usual car we used to drive, but once again he yelled at me to drive as fast as I could or I will regret all my life. So I drove fast as she wanted. Along the way, she asked me where we would run if there is something like a sudden attack and we have to save ourselves. I told her about the basement and she yelled at me, again, to go to the door connected to it. Then we found you. That was the time when I understood why she told me to drive the van and not the usual car she used to go to the office.”   
  
“You saw us?” Inoo turned to the woman in disbelief when something flashed in his mind. “Were you hacking the military satellite, ma’am?”   
  
The woman smiled innocently. “Aw, it’s just a little tour in my boring day, so forget about it, okay?”   
  
“Are you sure you’re secured? Are you sure they’re not tracking you back?”   
  
The woman waved her hand in front of Inoo’s face. “I’m safe, don’t worry. This isn’t the first time I do it. I can always run at the right time before they realize that somebody had breached their base. Oh, don’t worry, I never take anything. I’m always just scrolling around and seeing anything interesting but never taking anything, okay.”   
  
The woman smiled wickedly, and almost chuckled when he saw the expression of the boys, who were as they still couldn’t believe what they had just heard.   
  
“Ma’am, are you sure you want to help us?” Inoo asked her flatly but his tone was demanding an honest answer from her.   
  
The woman caught the tone and faced him straight. “Yes, I’m sure. You’ve made me interested to do it. With all of your backgrounds you’ve tried to stand straightly with all of you might. Oops, sorry,” She raised her hands when she saw them glared at her. “I’m hiring you so I have to make sure that I’m truly safe, okay. Don’t worry, I was just digging everything I need. I don’t do anything else.”   
  
The boys kept silent.   
  
“I don’t like to work with a person I don’t know anything about them. I’m just trying to be careful, okay. I guess I have the same right as you to find anything about you because it is related to my own safety.”   
  
No one responded her because they knew she was right.   
  
The woman smiled. “Okay, I still have something else to do, so I give you this room and make this as your own. I will never step into this room since now. This is all yours. You have my number so I believe you know how to find me.”   
  
Everybody stared intently to the woman who disappeared from the door and looked at each other, tried to make sure that they heard right.   
  
They were just staying silence for a moment. There’s no move and no sound. It was just the voice of Ryutaro tapping the keyboard mingling in the room.   
  
“Do you hear anything?”   
  
Everybody turned to Yuri who was asking curiously to Takaki who turned to him right away after the question.   
  
He looked at everyone who now stared at him curiously. “No, I don’t hear anything. It’s just … “  
  
“What?” Hikaru now sat beside him and held his arm. “Any sign? You don’t like this?”   
  
Takaki blinked many times at the questioner but then smiled sheepishly. “No! It’s not like that. I feel … comfortable with this place. I feel like ..., I’m home.”   
  
Hikaru stared at him intently. He felt something in his words but said nothing when the latter didn’t continue anything. He looked to the others and saw them sighed in relieve with the answer.   
  
_Maybe this is just my own imagination._   
  
He paid his attention back to Ryutaro who was still searching seriously.   
  
“I …, I’m going to the toilet.” Takaki stood up and walked out of the room. He stood silently in front of the door, watching the wood for a moment before sighed heavily. He walked down the stairs and as if he knew the house, he walked casually. When he reached downstairs, he stopped for a moment before taking his left. He opened the door, and was greeted by the warm gaze of people who lined up neatly around the table in a kitchen.   
  
“Welcome home, Yuya-Sama.” The woman president smiled widely at him, before bowed respectfully to him followed by the rest of the people in the room.   
  
“I’m home.” Takaki smiled back at them with tears hanging in his eyes.   
  
“I had never expected that my decision to enter that office down town would lead me to find you, young master.”   
  
Takaki smiled. “Glad that you did, Murayama. I never expect that you’re still running the company, though. I thought everything’s gone together with Mom and Dad.”   
  
“Of course we won’t let the company down, young master. We have a promise to Takaki-Sama to keep it alive whether he is alive or not.”   
  
“Actually we lost our hope when we heard about the shooting, young master, but then Murayama came home with the news that you were still alive. The police didn’t give us any information because you’re under their protection, so we promised ourselves to keep everything as it was so when you had ready to come home, or in case you lost your memory, you will gain everything back to you as soon as you remember, young master.” The tall old man bowed to him respectfully.   
  
“Oh, come on, guys. Don’t be too respectful to me like that. I’m not your young master, anymore.”   
  
“How could you say that, young master? You are the last person from the Takaki. Of course you are still our young master.” Another maid snapped to him fast.   
  
“No, you’re not our young master anymore,” Murayama cut her, made everybody in the room hold their breath in surprise. “but you are our master now.”   
  
Everybody smiled in relieve when she finally finished her words.   
  
“Murayama, stop making me got heart attack, will you?” The tall man hissed to her.   
  
Takaki smiled and stood up. “Whatever you say but I have to go back to my friends.”   
  
“Yes, master.” Once again everybody bowed to him respectfully.   
  
“And please, treat me equally like the others later. This is her house, not mine.” He pointed at the woman president who smiled widely and bowed to him.   
  
“As you wish, master.”   
  
Takaki stood up and left the kitchen. He casually went back to the room upstairs where the others were staying, without his knowing that a pair of eyes stared at him intently behind a big pot of flower beside the staircases.   



	21. The Story

“Find something?” He asked Ryutaro who was still seriously staring at the large monitor on the wall.   
  
“Yeah, but I always hit the wall when I tried to find about their organization. There’s something that always blocking me for going through.”   
  
The door opened and revealed Yamada who walked straightly to the window.   
  
“You know what?” Inoo suddenly stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He looked around the room. “I feel like I’ve been here before. I don’t know.” Inoo suddenly spoke up unexpectedly, made the others alerted right away.   
  
“Speaking of the devil, me too. I don’t know. I feel familiar with this house. This couch, this table, this room, I feel like I’ve been here before too.” Hikaru folded his hands in front of his chest and stared at his friends one by one, tried to find the same feeling at their face, which he suddenly didn’t need their answer because their expressions were enough for him to conclude everything. “Okay. Don’t say anything.”   
  
Yamada peeked through a slightly open curtain and looked out but found nothing he wanted to find. “No guard around the garden so I guess it’s safe even the woman seems suspicious.”   
  
“We need a plan. We can’t be stuck here. We don’t know her. We don’t even know her motive but I smell something really suspicious about her.” Yabu signed them to gather around him which most of them suddenly followed obediently. “Yuto, do you find something along your stay here?”   
  
The tallest of them shook his head, “There’s nothing suspicious. It went smoothly as it should be. It’s as plain as the other house,” but then he frowned.   
  
“What?”   
  
“I don’t know. I feel familiar with this kind of situation too. I feel like, this is a house should be. Why I suddenly feel that this is my own house?”   
  
Everybody stunned with his words because they felt the same.   
  
“Maybe it’s just your own imagination because this isn’t our house, Yuto.” Yamada coldly retort him from beside the window. He was still desperately trying to find something suspicious outside the window.   
  
“What are you doing, Yamada? You look troubled. What are you looking for?   
  
“Because I am desperately trying to find any proof to leave this house.”   
  
Now everybody turned to him.   
  
“What do you mean? Why should we leave this house? Do you feel anything? Yuya, are you sure you don’t hear anything?” Hikaru raised his eyebrows to the older.   
  
“I’ve heard something I shouldn’t hear today, and of course he doesn’t hear anything because he is in the safest place in the world for him. Only for him.” Yamada cut him before Takaki could say anything.   
  
Takaki widened his eyes when he heard the words and suddenly turned to Yamada who was staring at him intently. He smiled awkwardly. “What do you mean?”   
  
“Welcome to the Takaki residence, everybody, and enjoy your staying.” Yamada spread his hands to the air as he welcomed everybody with a very boldly faked smile.   
  
Everybody gaped at the news and suddenly turned to Takaki who was looking back at them nervously. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Yamada.”   
  
“Acting dumb now, huh?” Yamada walked over and stood in front of him. “Maybe this will make you think clearly and remember what you just did in the kitchen.”   
  
A punch landed on his face, made him wobbled hard.   
  
“Yamada! What are you doing?!” Yabu yelled at him but didn’t move over to stop him.   
  
Yamada smirked and tapped his fist. “Why don’t you ask him yourself? Ask him what he just did few minutes ago. Was he really going to the toilet?”   
  
Everybody turned to Takaki who wiped his bleeding lips.   
  
“Takaki, where were you going? Tell me that you were really going to the toilet.” Inoo walked over to him and reached for his shoulder, helped him to stand up again. “Tell me that you really needed to pee or anything you will do in the toilet and didn’t go to the kitchen as he said.”   
  
“You have to trust me because I ... “  
  
A pair of hand grabbed his collar, stopped him from explaining thing, and pushed him to the wall. “Were you planning all of this? The attack? You ordered your men to attack us! You even destroy our house! The only place we have? Don’t you feel the memory at all? You’ve been living in the house as long as us. Don’t you feel something to the house?”   
  
Hikaru grabbed Yamada, and pulled him from Takaki and stood between them right away. “I’m still trying to absorb everything so don’t decide everything too soon. We need to hear the explanation from him and we won’t get any word if you kill him now.” He glared at the younger, which obediently stepped away from them. He turned to Takaki. “Okay, Yuya. It’s better for you to explain everything before I couldn’t stop them from killing you anymore.”   
  
Takaki sighed and threw himself to the couch, got readied to explain everything when suddenly the door opened, revealed the woman with her wide smile.   
  
“He doesn’t need to explain anything, boys. I will explain everything to you so you better make yourself sit comfortably because you will hear something you won’t think you will hear.” She turned to Takaki and checked his cheek that was slightly turning blue. “Are you okay, Yuya-Sama?”   
  
Takaki slightly refused when the woman touched his face but failed when she insisted.   
  
“You need some ice.” She straightened herself and looked to everybody in the room. “I invite you to come to the next room so we can talk comfortably, and no more violence, please.”   
  
The next room was a small library with three couches spread all over the room. They looked around the room which covered with shelves full of books from the bottom of the wall until they reached the roof.   
  
Inoo went to a shelf and took out a thick book and furrowed his eyebrows when he read the tittle. “I know all of your parents, actually.”   
  
The statement made them stopped for whatever they’re doing. They stared to the woman without blinking, waited for her explanation.   
  
“And actually you’ve been staying in this house for a whole month years ago.”   
  
Now the boys were gaping in disbelief.   
  
“It’s when Yuya-Sama was five if I’m not mistaken. Your parents were gathering here for something I can’t explain to you casually because of some reasons that I can’t describe to you casually too.”   
  
“So, if you can’t explain anything, why should you gather us here?” Yamada mocked her, slightly feeling annoying with the woman’s attitude.   
  
“Because I don’t want you to fall into a false conclusion, like what was just happening few minutes ago, with resulted by you punching Yuya-Sama.” She turned to Yabu and smiled to him. “Don’t you remember anything, Kota-Sama? You’re the oldest here, and I believe that you have a sharp memory. Try to dig something in it, and then I believe you will find something important .”   
  
Yabu straightened his body. He was still trying to absorb everything, and now the woman called him casually, as if she knew him for years. He gulped hard and turned to his friends who looked puzzled at him.   
  
“I won’t blame Keito-Sama, Ryosuke-Sama, Yuto-Sama, Yuri-Sama, or even Ryutaro-Sama, because they were babies at that time, but to the others? I believe you can remember something even a tiny thing from that moment. Don’t try to remember anything hard. Just a simple thing would do, because I won’t explain you anything if you don’t remember anything.”   
  
Takaki raised his hand. “I remember something.” He then pointed at Yamada. “I felt like I knew him when I met him for the first time around seven years ago.”   
  
Murayama smiled widely, almost giggled at her master.   
  
“Of course you will remember him, Yuya-Sama, because you made a promise that made the elders stopped their talking and couldn’t speak for a moment years ago. They were just staring at you for a couple of minutes without saying anything. Trust me. I believe it was the most tense moment in their live.”   
  
Takaki blinked many times in wonder. “What promise?”   
  
“You promised to marry Ryosuke-Sama one day.”   
  
Many of them almost chocked with their own breath at the sudden news. They stared at the mentioned persons back and forth and couldn’t believe of what they’ve just heard.   
  
“Yuya ..., are you ... “ Hikaru stopped his question when he saw a death glare darted to him right away, and he knew he’s smart enough not to mess around with his best friend when he threw him his glare. Not to mention that one more scary person threw him the same death glare from the corner of the room, so he just raised his hand in state of surrender and bowed slightly to apologize.   
  
“It was shocking, really. Even the adults had questioned themselves for days about the statement,” She smiled and turned to his master,“ and observed you whether you were serious about it or it was just an explosion of your sudden feeling after you saw this cute baby.” She walked to the nearest shelf and took out a book which soon they knew as a photo album. She showed them one page of it and they smiled widely at the picture.   
  
“Is that Ryosuke?” Yuri walked over and took over the album.   
  
“Yes. It’s Ryosuke-Sama.”   
  
“Wow, he’s cute. No wonder Yuya wanted to marry him.” Hikaru whistled loudly and received a hard whack from his best friend and a kick from Yamada. “I’m sorry! But isn’t it true that this baby is very cute?”   
  
“Definitely.” Ryutaro shook his head in disbelief. “I won’t believe it if he himself,” he pointed at Yamada, “tell me that this picture is him because you know how he is now. Definitely not cute. At all.”   
  
Yabu forced him to stay in his place when Yamada wanted to walk over Ryutaro and Keito slightly stepped ahead to cover the youngest from him. Murayama just shook her head looking at their attitude.   
  
“You can find proof of my story in that album, and trust me, we’re not related to the destruction of your house, and Yuya-Sama is the same clueless as you about the attackers of your house too. So please, I beg you to erase all of your doubt to him soon.”   
  
Yuri looked at the other and back to the woman. “I can do that. I know from the very start that he didn’t do anything.”   
  
She smiled thankfully. “Thank you, Yuri-Sama.” She turned to Daiki and smiled to him. “Can I ask you a favor?”   
  
Daiki straightened his body, alerted about the favor she wanted to ask. “Yes?”   
  
“Please, go home, Daiki-Sama.”   
  
Everyone in the room gaped and turned to Daiki right away. The latter silently looked to the floor and played his fingers nervously.   
  
“Arioka-Sama owes you every answer you want to know and he knew he couldn’t run away now. He will explain you everything, trust me.”   
  
Soft knocks on the door interrupted their silence.   
  
“Yes?” Murayama turned to the slowly opened door, revealed the tall old man who bowed to everybody in the room.   
  
“Dinner’s ready.”   
  
“Okay. We’ll be there.”   
  
The door closed once again and the woman smiled to them.   
  
“One said that when you’re starving, your brain won’t work correctly and I guess he’s right. I’ve seen the proof today. You’ve been running along the forest for who knows how long. You missed your lunch, and I don’t know whether you have your breakfast or not this morning, that’s why you don’t think clearly to observe everything. So, before you discuss more about everything, please proceed to the dining table.”   
  
Everybody moved silently behind the woman. Takaki hesitantly stood up and tried to find any reason not to attend the dinner but couldn’t do anything when Yuri pulled him hard and didn’t let him go along the way to the dining room.   
  
“You can call me if you think these aren’t enough for you.” She showed them a little bell that she put it in the middle of the table.   
  
“Where are you going?” Daiki stared at him intently.   
  
“It’s our rule, sir, not to interrupt the meal time. You can ask Yuya-sama if you need more information about this house because we don’t change anything since that incident.”   
  
“Why don’t you just stay here and forget about those stupid rules? I am your master, right?” Takaki mumbled slowly.   
  
Murayama smiled widely. “Yes, but it doesn’t mean that you can change the rule just like that, Yuya-Sama. Those stupid rules had saved this house from it’s collapse for I don’t remember how many times. So, we tried hard to keep them exist no matter what. That’s the promise we should keep for who knows how many generations.”   
  
“Scratch that rule. Why don’t you just sit here and have dinner with us?” Yabu almost pleaded her silently.   
  
The woman smiled again.   
  
“Thank you but I’m sorry I can’t, sir. Besides, I guess it’s better for me to leave you alone now. It’s up to you to reveal yourself to each other or not. It is your right, but I suggest you should, because now you know that you are related to each other since the very start. It will be easier for you to decide what to do if you start to open yourself.”   
  
The woman smiled before left them.   
  



	22. Their True Story

Everybody kept silence for a moment before Yuri finally raised his hand.   
  
“My name is Chinen Yuri. My parents and my sister had died years ago. What happened to them? I guess you’ve read my file, and everything you’ve read in that file is correct. I didn’t hide anything to the uppers. I told them every single thing about my past and didn’t try to hide anything. Why didn’t I use my surname until now? Because most of us had no family name and I’m more comfortable if you just know me as Yuri. End of explanation, and I don’t receive any question, thank you.”   
  
Everyone gaped at the sudden explanation of the shortest of them. They looked at each other and smile formed on their lips right away.   
  
“Come on, guys. Even if I say I don’t receive any question, don’t you want to give me any comment? You look creepy with your silence.”   
  
Takaki ruffled his hair gently. He didn’t have anything to say because he didn’t know what to say so he just tried to express his feeling through his touch. The shortest looked up gave him a wide smile, made him smiled back to him.   
  
“Aww, come on, just get married already! Don’t show off in front of us!”   
  
A fork flied over to the youngest who ducked deeply to avoid it. When he didn’t feel any danger threatened, he sat straightly and looked to the shortest just to receive a cold I-will-kill-you-later look.   
  
A soft whack on his head made him turned to his side and saw a calming smile from Inoo radiated to him, melted him and made him curved his lips.   
  
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled softly and bowed deeply to Chinen who turned his face away as the answer, made all of them smiled in amusement.   
  
“But I know that you have your reason for being comfortable as yourself, not minding that actually you know your family history, unlike most of us.” Inoo smiled at him gently.   
  
Yuri sighed heavily and drank his juice. “I am who I am. It doesn’t matter whoever I was. I might be a spoiled boy from a very happy family, but that was far away behind. You know me as Yuri because I introduced myself to you as Yuri. Everybody knows me as Yuri and I am enjoying myself as Yuri. I am Yuri. I am who I am. I don’t care what you say about me after this but I don’t care about my past. I knew my parents were loving me too much. I know even my sister was spoiling me too much too, but that was long time ago and I won’t get their attention again now. I have to fight everything on myself now. They won’t help me anymore because they don’t even exist again. I am who I am now. I am alone and they aren’t here. You guys are my family now.”   
  
“Yuri ...”   
  
“I know my family wouldn’t get mad with my words. They’re too much in love with me, you know. And I know that you won’t get mad at me because I know that you love me too much too.”   
  
Everybody stunned and could only blink their eyes with his words before looked at each other and chuckled at his words.   
  
“See, you agreed me!”   
  
No one could deny him afterwards. He was right after all.   
  
“He tried to tell us that the most important thing is our future, guys.”   
  
Yabu looked at Takaki and smiled understandingly. “I know what he tried to say. It’s just ..., it feels weird when you heard it from him.”   
  
“Hey! What does that mean?”   
  
“It’s Okamoto Keito.”   
  
Everybody in the room stopped right away and turned to Keito, who looked around awkwardly.   
  
“My name is Okamoto Keito. I found my father around three years ago, knowing him having Alzheimer in my process to know him.”   
  
A soft caress on his back made him turned to see Yabu was smiling at him, giving him a courage and a slight assurance that everything would be alright. He nodded as understood what the oldest tried to tell him.   
  
A sound of a clap distracted them from staring at Keito and everybody turned to the voice maker who suddenly smiled widely when everybody’s attention was on him.   
  
“Yaotome Hikaru, and I don’t have anyone else again in this world aside of you. I found the clue where my parents live just to receive the fact that they died years ago. So I could only see their grave. It’s around a month ago, and this stupid best friend of mine,” he pointed at Takaki who sat beside him, and suddenly slapped him in his head at the comment, “found me easily through a sea of people on the street, followed me until the cemetery and made me spill everything in me, including my tears.”   
  
Most of them snorted at the last words.   
  
“As expected from Takaki. You can’t really hide from him, you know. Once he decided to follow us, then we will be his prey without having even a slight chance for freeing our selves away.”   
  
They laughed together when they saw Takaki smiled sheepishly at them until Inoo stopped them with his fake cough. They turned to him, some of them raised their eyebrows, wondered about what he was going to say.   
  
Inoo smiled sweetly and put his hands on the table. “I guess I don’t have to introduce myself because you’ve met my family.”   
  
“Yeah, our future president!” Hikaru yelled and raised his fist up.   
  
Inoo glared at him as the comment.   
  
“Aw, come on, Inoo-Chan. Don’t you want to have a stable life? We know that your grandfather and also your father, and even your stepmother had offered you to take over their position.”   
  
“I don’t decide anything yet, so please don’t conclude anything on your own.”   
  
“Okay.” Once again Hikaru raised his hands in state of surrender. “Sorry.”   
  
“Me too.” Ryutaro raised his hand. “I guess I don’t have to explain anything here because you know the story of me and my bombed house. All of my family died in that incident while I’m saved because I wasn’t home that day. I don’t know whether it was lucky or not but I am alive until now, and have nobody but you as a part of my life.”   
  
A soft tap on his back made him turned to his side and found a comfortable smile from Inoo, made him smile wider and nodded at the unspoken assuring words of the older.   
  
“Answer me honestly now. Do you feel anything about this house? Even when we were riding in the car through the forest to reach this house?”   
  
Everybody straightened their bodies, slightly alerted to Inoo’s question to the youngest of them. Hikaru took a glance to the Takaki who silently ate his dinner and looked didn’tn’t care about the question.   
  
Ryutaro shook his head. “To be honest, I felt comfortable when I saw the car. I know our savior had come. I was just never expected that SHE was the savior. And honestly, I felt more comfortable when I stepped in to this house.”   
  
Takaki almost rolled his eyes at the comments but he continued his eating in silence.   
  
“It’s Nakajima Yuto. My father was a head of the police in my town and my mother was just a plain house wive. I have a little brother named Raiya.” Yuto suddenly spoke loudly to cut the uneasiness that suddenly rose because of Inoo’s question. He didn’t even see them and continued his eating while explaining himself to the others, but he succeeded to take over their attention. “It’s the same as Ryu’s story about the bombed house, so was mine, and I wasn’t home either that time. It’s exactly the same with his story.” He pointed his knife to the youngest.   
  
Yabu caressed his back softly, made the tallest smiled at him.   
  
“A friend of my father took me in but the same scenario happened to them too, so finally I ended in the orphanage. I’m happy with my life because I’ve met you, so end of my story.”   
  
“You’re interested in making bomb lately because you want to find out about the bomb that destructed your house and with that you can track the maker. Am I correct?”   
  
Everybody turned to Yuri, then back to Yuto who was still enjoying his food.   
  
Yuto just nodded many times as the answer but said nothing.   
  
“Yuto, we have promised our selves not to do any revenge to anybody from the past.” Yabu reminded him about their promise years ago.   
  
“I know. I still remember clearly about it and trust me, I still keep it in my heart. The promise. I won’t break it, I promise.”   
  
“So, what will you do if finally you found them?”   
  
He shrugged lightly. “I just want to know the reason why he, or she, or they, did that to my family. Did my father do something wrong so we deserved that kind of punishment? Or my mother? I don’t know. I just want to know the reason. That’s all. Nothing more. I don’t have any intention for killing anybody from my past, so rest assured, guys. I am enjoying my current life to the fullest.”   
  
Yabu sighed heavily.   
  
“But we will take revenge for the person who destroy our house, right?”   
  
Everybody looked to the tallest and then to each other. They smiled to each other when they knew that they had the same thought about it.   
  
“Okay, let’s redo the promise once again, that we will not do any revenge to anybody from our past, but will find the person who destroy our house and maybe we will give them a little lesson about respect to other’s property.”   
  
Yabu stood up and stretched his hand, followed by the other. Everybody looked at Takaki who was still sitting unmoved in his chair.   
  
“Takaki, please. We did this once. You don’t change your mind, do you?”   
  
The said person stood up and put his hand on the others’ and breathed heavily. “I promise I will not take any revenge to the person who kill my family years ago in case I found them one day.” He said loudly in a serious tone.   
  
Inoo furrowed his eyebrows slightly. He felt something in the tone. He looked at Takaki and found him took a little glance to Hikaru who was just smiling at him. He could read the thankfulness in the smile.   
  
_What is it? What are you hiding of, guys?_  
  
“Okay, I guess it’s my turn now. I am Yabu kota. I don’t know about my family. A source told me that they died years ago, but I still have my mother with me. She’s fine.”   
  
“Eh? When did you find her?” Yuri threw him a curious look.   
  
“Around two days ago. She is being admitted to Paradise Asylum.”   
  
Keito stoned and looked at him right away. His shoulder slumped when he found the oldest gave him a warm smile.   
  
“Is she okay?”   
  
“I told you she is fine. I will introduce you to her one day when we have a stable situation.”   
  
Yuri nodded furiously at the response.   
  
“Yamada Ryosuke and I believed you knew my story so I don’t have to say a thing.” He flatly said his words and didn’t have any intention to look over his friends.   
  
“Takaki Yuya, and welcome to my house. You can observe everything about me so I don’t need to explain anything to you. Have a nice search~”  
  
Everybody looked at each other and slight smiles crept on their face.   
  
“You know what?” Hikaru looked at the both persons. “You really are two of a kind, why don’t you just marry each other or something?”   
  
A hard kick landed on his shin, made him wince as the result.   
  
“You’d better not to play around with me or I ended shooting you right in the middle of your eyes before you realize it.”   
  
Everybody turned to Yamada who was still eating his meal casually. He didn’t even look bothered with the joke and stayed expressionless all the time.   
  
“Yes, Mr. Sniper.” Hikaru bowed deeply to him, almost made everybody laugh at his attitude.   
  
“It’s ... Arioka Daiki. I ... mm ...” Daiki awkwardly introduced himself. He looked very uncomfortable and everybody almost pitied him with his confession.   
  
“Daiki, you don’t have to explain anything if you don’t want to.” Yabu cut him before he could continue his explanation. “Yes, we’re curious about your background because even when we tried hard to find it we never get any clue of you, but it’s okay if you don’t want to reveal yourself to us. We’re fine with you yourself.”   
  
Everybody nodded in agreement with him and gave the said person assuring smiles so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.   
  



	23. One Step Closer

He breathed heavily behind a big soldier who guided him to the living room. The house was big, as big as Takaki’s house, but he shivered lightly at the eerie atmosphere in the house.   
  
“Sir, you have a guest.”   
  
He looked up to the man who was walking on the stairs. The old man turned and stunned when he saw him.   
  
“Daiki.”   
  
Daiki bowed slightly and took a glance to the soldier who turned around and walked away fast. He looked up and met with the cold gaze of an old man who beamed him a forced smile.   
  
“I know that you were the one who ordered those people to blow up our house.”   
  
The old man stepped down the stairs until he stopped in front of him. He smiled and opened his arms widely. “Welcome home my son.” He stepped forward to hug him but Daiki stepped back.   
  
“Don’t dare to touch me! Just admit that you were the one who blow our house.”   
  
The face of the old man stiffened. “I told you I will do everything to make you come back to me.”   
  
“It doesn’t mean that you have to blow up our house. That’s the most precious thing we have. The most precious thing I have after you threw me in the orphanage years ago.”   
  
“It was to save you. I don’t want you to get killed, that’s why I put you in that orphanage. Your life would be in danger if you stay with me, and trust me, you won’t reach this age if I didn’t threw you in that place.”   
  
Daiki folded his arms in front of his chest. “Why should I be in danger, Dad? I want you to explain me everything why should you threw me in that orphanage. Don’t you know how hard I’ve tried to cope up with my life in that place? Don’t you know how lonely I was every night? Don’t you know how hard I wanted to meet you every day?”   
  
“I know! It’s hard for me to do it but I have to! Or else you will be killed if you stayed with me.”   
  
“Then why now you want me back to you?”   
  
The old man stared at him intently before sighed heavily. He walked slowly to the large window and looked outside. He breathed heavily when he didn’t find green trees as he expected. “Because it’s time for you to come back to me after years.” He turned around and faced his son. “I planned to pick you up when you reach eighteen. I’ve told the orphanage to call me if they’re ready to release you to the world, but they never did it. I called them and they said someone had adopted you when you’re fifteen. There’s no written agreement between us so I couldn’t do anything but to search you on my own.”   
  
“Ended you blow up our house?”   
  
“I told you that I will do anything to make you come back to me two years ago but you ignored me.”   
  
Daiki shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t you realize that you could kill me too in that attack?”   
  
The old man smiled widely. “Everybody knew you. You won’t die in that little attack. I knew for sure from the very start that you will survive and no one of you will get hurt with that kind of attack. Am I right?”   
  
Daiki snorted loudly to hide the fact that what he said was true.   
  
“So, where are you hiding now? I’ve been searching for you since yesterday but found no track, not even a single sign of your whereabouts.”   
  
Daiki smirked. “Why do you want to know where we’re living now? To blow up our house again for the second time?”   
  
“Of course not! I want you to be safe. I don’t want any of you get hurt.” He stopped and stunned. “No one’s hurt, right?”   
  
Something flashed in his mind and he gritted his teeth. “What if I say that we lost half of us?”   
  
The old man stared at him in horror. “No!”   
  
Daiki gritted his teeth harder. “You killed them. You killed half of my family.”   
  
“No! I ordered them to blow up the house only, and they should make themselves assured that nobody left in the house when they blow up the house. I never ordered them to kill anyone of you. You lie to me!”   
  
“Do you think I will lie with this kind of important thing?”   
  
The old man wobbled but Daiki didn’t have any intention to help him. “No. You lie.” He sat down to the couch near the window and ducked deeply. “Who died?”   
  
“I won’t tell you.”   
  
The old man’s shoulders were slumped and he looked away.   
  
“This means you confess that you’re the one who blew up our house. I don’t know that you’re this heartless.” Daiki shook his head once again and walked away.   
  
“Where are you going? You can’t leave.”   
  
Daiki stopped and turned. “I will leave no matter what. I have my family waited for me to come back. I’m sorry.”   
  
“No! I am your father! I am your family!”   
  
“I’m sorry. My family will never hurt me and the important persons around me.” Daiki stared at him and almost pitied him. “I have my future to reach with them.”   
  
“Your future had been decided since you were born! You can’t turn yourself away like that. What will you get by loitering around without purpose? You will suffer all your life.”   
  
“We’re not just loitering around without purpose. We’re trying hard to reach our future, with our own hand.”   
  
“What future do you expect without any plan? And who are they, anyway? Why do you choose them over me?”   
  
Daiki breathed heavily and looked at his father right to his eyes. “I know you knew them, Sir. You can’t lie to me now. I want you to explain me everything because I deserve to know everything.”   
  
He saw his old man stunned for a while before smirked at him.   
  
“What explanation? I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”   
  
Daiki breathed heavily once again and folded his arm in front of his chest.   
  
“Are you sure you don’t know Takaki Keisuke? Yamada Tarou?”   
  
Once again the old man stunned. He frozen on his seat.   
  
“Or, Kazama Rie? Chinen Takashi? Okamoto Keniichi? Yabu ... “  
  
“Stop it! How do you know them? I never mention even a single of those names to you. How do you find them?”   
  
Daiki sighed gratefully. Aside of his heart thanked the woman for telling him those names as his clue to pull everything out from his father, but half of it torn into pieces, finding that his father may be the one that caused their death and suffers.   
  
“The four first had died, and so the other two. I don’t have to mention their name but I guess you know who I meant. Do you have something with their death? Did you do something that caused their death?”   
  
“What?”   
  
“What were you? You knew each other but you’re the only one who survived. They had died and the rest are having their hard time to live their life, but look at you. You don’t look like a person that suffered. What were you?”   
  
“You see that I am just a plain soldier that luckily has a good position now.”   
  
Daiki smiled lightly. “I’m not a kid who will believe you easily, Sir. What were you?”   
  
“I was a soldier and still a soldier. I serve my country with all my heart. I had never betrayed it and will never betray it.”   
  
“If you think I believe of what you’ve said, Sir, you’re wrong. If you’re just a soldier, you wouldn’t throw me to the orphanage. If you’re just a soldier I wouldn’t be in any danger that forced you to throw me away from a place I called home.”   
  
The old man lost his words. He knew that the boy was right and he couldn’t retort back.   
  
“If you don’t tell me, I will find it by myself. And trust me, Sir, I will find it soon before you realize it.”   
  
“I’ve told you that I ... “  
  
Daiki smiled widely. “I’m sorry I don’t believe you.” He sighed heavily. “I guess I won’t get anything even if I beg you so it’s better for me to leave.”   
  
“You can’t leave. You are my son.”   
  
“I don’t want to live with a murderer.”   
  
“What murderer? Who? I didn’t kill anybody.”   
  
“But you’re the one who order their family to be killed. You sent your people to kill them. You sent your people to bomb their houses. You sent your people to destroy them. What was your purpose? Were they doing something to you until you should kill them?”   
  
“I said I didn’t kill them! It wasn’t me!”   
  
“Then who?”   
  
A part of Daiki’s heart fell until he felt his tears wanted to drop any time. It hurt a lot hearing the truth. He was told to prepare himself for the worst but still, he felt down so sudden.   
  
“I couldn’t tell you but it wasn’t me.”   
  
Daiki sighed heavily to suppress his feeling. “Don’t you know how horrible their days because of the shooting? Takaki and Yamada always had nightmares every night even until now. Ryutaro vomits every time he heard and saw even a little explosion. Yuto and Inoo didn’t say anything but I know that they had suppressed their feeling to hide their bad memory. Even Hikaru, do you know that he doesn’t have any memory of his family? Don’t you ever think about his feeling? The other never says anything but I know they always think about their fate. Do you know how their feeling to live this life with that kind of memory?”   
  
“I just had to save you.”   
  
“And betrayed your friends?”   
  
The old man gritted his teeth hard, trying hard not to explode in front of his son. “I had to choose over you or them. Please, can we drop this? I don’t want to talk about this. It happened and nothing could be repeated again.”   
  
Daiki snorted lightly and stared at his father in disbelief. “I don’t believe that you are really my father.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“I don’t believe that you are actually my father.”   
  
“But I am your father.”   
  
“If so, you should make me happy, shouldn’t you? But all you did to me was hurting me. First you threw me to an orphanage, then you blow up the place I live for almost seven years, and I believe you still have plans to make me suffer.”   
  
“I don’t.”   
  
“Do you think I believe you? After what you did to me? I don’t care anymore about you. I’m ashamed actually to go back to my friends. My family. Because the one who made them unhappy is the one called my father. I guess I really have to leave. I don’t belong here. This isn’t my house. You aren’t my father.”   
  
“Daiki!”   
  
“I’m glad that you still remember my name but I’m sorry it’s too late. It won’t change anything. I have decided to live my own life in my own way.”   
  
“You have to be my successor!”   
  
“I’m sorry, Sir, I don’t want to. I have my own life.”   
  
“You! Insolent boy!”   
  
“Call me anything you want, I don’t care. My future is mine. I will not let anybody else decide it for me, not even you!” Daiki greeted his teeth, almost hissed the words and silently thanking himself for not shouting at the old man.   
  
The old man gritted his teeth too, annoyed as didn’t get what he wanted. “You’re not my son anymore. Get out of here!”   
  
Daiki smiled. “Be my pleasure, sir, and good bye.”   
  
He bowed deeply and turned away. A pain stabbed deeply to his heart as he stepped out of the house but he felt so light somehow. He looked at the blank sky above him to prevent his tears to pour but still he couldn’t stop it. It poured on his cheek like a stream and he finally let himself to cry.   
  
_What should I do now?_  
  
In the other side of town, in the Assylum, Yabu looked at his mother gently. He smiled to the woman and kissed her forehead.   
  
“I will come when I can and I will introduce you to my friends. They’re great. We’ve been living together for around seven years and we feel like we are a family. They’re just like me. Some of them even don’t have anybody left from their real family, but we’re okay.”   
  
The woman kept smiling to him without words.   
  
“I’ll see you soon.”   
  
He fixed the blanket on her lap and caressed her cheek before turned away to the door. It was only a step out of the door when a hand gripped his and dragged him away.   
  
“Jin!”   
  
The older let him go and turned to him.   
  
“Where have you been? I’ve tried to find you for days but found no clue about your whereabouts and I’m dying because you didn’t even go to me.”   
  
Yabu smiled. “I’m fine, don’t worry.”   
  
“Of course I’m worried! I was just arriving to find a huge house of yours turned to ashes and I couldn’t find any clue of you. Are you okay? Is anyone of you hurt?”   
  
“You see I’m fine.”   
  
“What about the other? They’re fine too, aren’t they?”   
  
Yabu smiled bitterly. “Can we not talk about them now? I don’t want to talk about them now.”   
  
Jin slumped dramatically. “They’re not. Oh my God! What happened?”   
  
Yabu shrugged. “I don’t know. So far I remember we were chatting around in one room and then suddenly somebody shot us and didn’t give us any chance to shoot them back.”   
  
“You should’ve come to me. I gave you my address.”   
  
Yabu smiled again. “I couldn’t think anything at that time. Even until now, my mind still stops working. I don’t know what to do now.”   
  
“Go to my house. You have to live with me.”   
  
He shook his head. “I’m sorry but I can’t trust anybody now.”   
  
“What? Kou! I am Jin, your older brother. You can’t trust me too?”   
  
He smiled again and caressed Jin’s arm. “I’m sorry. Let me think about everything first then I will call you if I’m ready, okay?”   
  
Jin sighed when he knew that he couldn’t force him. “Okay, where do you live now? At least I know that you are really saved.”   
  
“Is it important for you to know where I live?”   
  
“Kou!” He grabbed the younger and made him faced him. “Something big is going on. I want you to stay beside me because I want to be assured that you are saved. You don’t know how crazy I am since I found that somebody blew your house. I didn’t know where you go and I didn’t know how you are. It drove me crazy.”   
  
Yabu shoved him softly. “I know something big is going on, Jin. That’s why I won’t tell you where I live. I’m sorry. After all of these craps, I can’t trust anybody.”   
  
The older sighed when he found that he was just being reasonable. “Okay. I understand.” He took out a small note from his pocket and wrote something on it. “Call me of you stuck. When you can’t find any other place to hide, call me, and I will hide you in the place where nobody can find you.”   
  
Hesitantly, Yabu reached out the paper and bowed slightly before turned away from him. He walked as fast as he could until he was out of the Asylum. He decided to turn to an alley so sudden every time to avoid himself for being tailed. He then entered a bookstore when he found one and bought a pen and a note. He went to the toilet and took out the paper Jin gave him. He put it on the faucet and took out the things he bought carefully. He washed his hand and pulled a tissue to take the note. He grabbed his notebook and took a sheet from the middle of the note, and then carefully copied the numbers on the paper he got from Jin. He took his wallet, pulled out all its contents, put it in his shirt pocket and threw his wallet into the trashcan under the faucet. He took off his jacket, and threw it into the same place and sighed.   
  
“Kei will mad at me because I throw his jacket away.” He mumbled softly while washing his hands once again before walked out of the toilet.   
  
He entered another store and walked out of it after few minutes wearing new jeans. He looked around for a while and started to walk again.   
  
_Nothing to lose for being careful, right? I’m sorry Jin. I can’t trust anybody right now. Not even you._  
  
Few times later, two men walked into the toilet where Yabu was and stared at each other when they found all of his things in a dustbin under one of the faucet.   
  


  
~~~~  


“How’s your mother?” Yuri tailed him everywhere he went since his back from the asylum and he had asked the same question for the nth time.

Yabu shook his head and smiled, but wasn’t even bothered with him. “She’s fine, and I’m thinking of taking her out of the asylum.” He opened the fridge and took out a water of bottle.

“Yuri, you’ve asked him the same question for thousand times.” Ryutaro threw him a ball of paper, made him ducked to avoid.

The others were just shaking his head in amuse watching how the younger of them behaved.

“Guys, I can’t reach Daiki. I’ve tried to call him for hours but his phone’s always out of reach.”

Everybody stared at Inoo who showed his phone to them in silent. No words uttered and some of them could only stare at each other silently.


	24. The Story Left Behind

Days passed without any trace of Daiki. They’ve tried to search every little clue they found but still, they couldn’t reach for him.  
  
“They were spies. They worked for this country. They served this country even before they met each other. Everything went smoothly until one day we couldn’t reach for the Yaotome. Some of us tried to search and found out about the robbing case. There were only two corpses and identified as the parents, which means there were no children. We’ve tried to track your whereabouts and also your sibling but found nothing.”  
  
Hikaru looked up to the woman but didn’t say anything.  
  
“He still has a sibling?” Takaki asked her carefully.  
  
“Not just one but two, a sister and a brother. You’re the youngest, Hikaru-Sama.”  
  
Everyone in the room took a glance to the said person and slightly saw a light of happiness in his eyes.  
  
“We didn’t think about anything that time because every evidences the police gave us was purely about robbery, so we just let the case as one of the unlucky fate of one of us. Then another day came and they started to realize something when one morning the Nakajima house exploded. Not long after that, the Morimoto house also got the same case, and just one day after that the Chinen house burned in fire. I remember clearly that Takaki-San asked me one question one morning, _‘Where are the children?’_ ”  
  
Everybody looked at the woman, waited impatiently for her to continue her story.  
  
“They suddenly stopped contacting to each other so far I know. I don’t know whether it was the order from the uppers or it was their own decision but I never see them see each other ever again. Takaki-San was still trying to find the children secretly but found no clue. Until that ..., shooting day, when we lost him.”  
  
Everyone kept silent. They didn’t move. Some of them stared blankly to the ground and didn’t voice out anything. Something mingled in their mind but they didn’t dare to ask.  
  
“Don’t ask me too. I was just a head of the security of this house and I am still the one.” Murayama smiled as if she could read their mind.  
  
No one move from their place when the woman closed the door silently.  
  
“We’ve promised not to take any revenge to anybody from our past.” Yabu almost whispered his words but everybody could hear him clearly. They didn’t have to ask anything because the oldest of them just reminded them about their promise. They knew that he had the same thought with them. They didn’t have to say anything. They didn’t want to say anything.  
  
Outside the door, Murayama turned over to meet with the apologetic look from the tall man.  
  
“Are you sure it’s okay not to tell them that Arioka-Sama ... “  
  
“They’re smart, Irie. I believe that even I don’t say anything about him, they had that thought inside their head. They didn’t say anything along my story but I could see clearly that they could pull a conclusion right after I finished it. I see their pain but I see their strength at the same time. Don’t underestimate them, Irie.”  
  
“I never underestimate them. It’s just ..., I don’t know. A half of me want them to know every detail we found, but another half of me doesn’t want to tell them anything and let them live their life peacefully.”  
  
“They knew it, Irie. I told you not to underestimate them. They knew it.”  
  
The tall man looked away in doubt.  
  
“Irie, we’re just servants in this house. They are the masters now. It’s enough for them to feel pain all their life. It’s time to move on and never look back. I heard they had a promise not to take any revenge to anybody from their past, so we have to help them to keep the promise, because if we let them push to do the revenge, we will give them more pain. Telling them the real story and let them pull the conclusion pained me. I don’t want to hurt them more than this.”  
  
“But they deserve to know every detail of the story. You can’t hide and tell them the story you wanted to tell. They need to know the betrayer. They need ... “  
  
“Irie, please. Seven years living together is a long time. The bond between them got tighter every times. If they knew the story, they will break and I don’t know what will happen to them. Let them find it by themselves and decide what to do. Please. I know they knew it. With Daiki-Sama doesn’t come back here, and my story, I believe they could read what had happened in the past. Let’s hope that everything is going to be alright after now.”  
  
Irie sighed heavily and nodded. “I guess you’re right.”  


  
~~~~  


  
He couldn’t close his eyes even a second. The image of the bleeding bodies of his family was suddenly keeps appearing in front of his eyes continuously. He tried to erase it with thinking about the story he had heard today but failed.

He sighed and stood up.

_Maybe a little walk will help me._

He chuckled a little to his own thought.

_Maybe. I’m too pathetic, aren’t I? I should say perhaps but I just said maybe. How can I be assured that I can erase all that pictures if I don’t believe that I can do it?_

He stopped when he saw a figure was walking silently in front of him. His eyebrows furrowed and he decided to follow the figure. It walked slowly but firm to one of the door in the corridor. Without knocking, the figure opened the door and entered the room. He walked over, and peeked to the slightly unclosed door and stunned when he saw the figure tried to sooth the one who was still lying on the bed.

Takaki was having a bad dream.

“Ssshhh, it’s okay. It’s just a dream.”

Takaki sat and closed his face. He was panting hard.

“I know.”

“Should I turn on the light?”

“No. I’m fine. Just stay, please.”

He looked to his side before shifting and gave the figure a room to sit. The figure moved closer and pulled the blanket over.

“I decided to search about them.” The figure started the talk when he saw Takaki had calmed already.

Takaki chuckled lightly. “Of course you have to do that. You should search about their whereabouts.”

The figure smiled and leaned his chin on his knees. “I don’t care if they remember about me or not, but I will surely find them.”

“Hikaru, be positive. At least you know that you’re not alone. I mean, you have me, and the rest of us, but ... “

“I know what you mean, stupid. You don’t have to explain about it.”

Takaki smiled and lay back on the bed.

“I don’t like her story. It was like ..., it sounded like ..., she was trying to lead us to the stupid thought I have right now.”

Takaki kept silent.

“I have two thoughts and I found out that one of it is a stupid thought I have ever had.”

“I believe in Daiki.”

Hikaru looked at him but got no respond. Takaki was staring blankly to the roof and then closed his eyes.

“I believe him no matter what you will say. I’m sorry.”

He sighed heavily. “My first thought, Daiki is staying with his father and decided to follow him. A second later, I found the thought is very stupid because I believe in him too no matter what. Daiki is one of us. He won’t betray us no matter what.

A little smile tugged on Takaki’s lips.

_I know you will never feel any doubt about him. You’re the one who always does the observation. I know you know every one of us better than our selves do._

“Then I thought that maybe, just maybe, probably, or perhaps, I don’t know, he is in danger right now. Maybe, probably, or perhaps, his father jailed him in the house and doesn’t let him go. How tricky Daiki is, he is against his own father who has a large troop that spreads all over the house. He couldn’t run away that easy.”

“Or, he easily walked away because his father chased him away from the house, and he doesn’t have a heart to come back here because he had found the truth, whatever it is, and he doesn’t want us to know. He doesn’t want to hurt us.”

Hikaru pursed his lips upward and silently agreed him. “Just like Daiki we knew.”

“Hm.”

Hikaru looked to his side and saw Takaki was calmed and looked forgotten about the dream, so he nudged him.

“Does she know about Yui?”

Takaki pursed his lips. “I don’t know. She is happy with her current life so I guess it’s better not to tell about her.”

Hikaru nodded and followed him to lie down the bed.

Outside the door, he took a step backward before turned away. An image of a young girl now was dancing in his eyes. A smiley face kept appearing in his eyes, the smile that made his heart went explode all sudden, the smile that made his heart went warm all sudden, and the smile he missed lately.

“Ryosuke, what are you doing here?”

He turned over and found the shortest of them stared at him with a big question mark drawn all over his face. He almost chuckled with the expression but shook his head lightly.

“It’s nothing. I was just trying to shut my mind out from thinking too much but failed. So I decided to take a little walk. What are you doing?”

Yuri sighed. “I can’t sleep. Something mingled in my mind on and on. Most of them is about, where is Daiki? Is he eating properly? Is he okay? I miss him.”

Yamada patted his back gently. “Why don’t we take a little walk in the garden? It’s still cold but it’s spring already.”

Yuri smiled widely and nodded.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine. We knew him. He will be totally fine.”

  
~~~~  


Morning came with a silent hectic happened in the kitchen. One of the house-cleaners closed the door and leaned her body on it while caressing her chest.

“What now?”

“Murayama! You should see them. They’re sleeping hugging each other. In one bed!”

Everyone in the kitchen stopped whatever they’re doing and turned to the house-cleaner.

“Saeki, explain.” A low yet stern voice came out from Irie who was just coming from another door to the kitchen.

“I was just going to take the dirty clothes from Yuya-Sama’s room and found that they’re hugging each other in one bed.”

“Who?”

“Yuya-Sama and Hikaru-Sama!”

Everyone gaped at the news.

“Did you see it clearly? Shouldn’t it be Ryosuke-Sama?”

“No! It’s clearly Hikaru-Sama!”

“The others were sleeping together in Ryutaro-Sama’s room, sir.” Another house-cleaner reported.

Irie and Murayama took a glance to each other but said nothing.

“Okay. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? We don’t know yet so please, keep working as usual.” He clapped, signed them to go back to their work, just in time when the door opened and revealed the said persons.

“It’s your fault for keeping me awake all night.”

“Aw, Yuya~ Why you’re so moody this morning? This isn’t the first time we talked to each other all night. Remember around two months ago, you kept me awake with your stupid story about the snow man.”

“That’s not stupid story. Everybody knows about the story. It’s you who stupid because you don’t know about the story.” Takaki turned to everybody in the kitchen. “I want to have a breakfast here.”

Everybody bowed at him respectfully.

“And thank to you because now I know about the story.”

“Yeah, another peace morning that started with the quarrel of a husband and a wife in the dining table while waiting for the breakfast to be served. Nice greeting, you two.” Inoo came and greeted them sarcastically followed with the others who silently smiled at the comment.

Hikaru smirked and smiled widely. He reached for Takaki’s arm and gripped it tightly. “Aw, are you jealous, Inoo-Chan? Because we’re so romantic this morning?”

A glare darted to him as the answer and a soft whack landed on his head. He turned to his side and pouted to Takaki who was smiling at him.

“Why did you whack me? You don’t love me anymore?”

“Oh I’m sorry, my dear wife. My hand slipped.”

“I am the husband. You’re the wife!”

Takaki smiled again and shook his head. “No. I am the husband. I am taller than you, older than you, and bigger than you. I have all the reasons for being a husband in a relationship.”

“I don’t know that you are this conventional, Takaki Yuya.” Yamada smirked at him from across the table. “Don’t you see around? There are so many wives and girls taller than their husbands or the boys.”

Takaki smirked back at him. “You said that because we’re taller than you, right?”

Yamada shut his mouth tight and could only glare at the older while Yuri and Ryutaro were giggling hard.

“I’m sorry. We have a guest.”

Everybody in the room turned to the door where a house-cleaner stood nervously.

“Who?” Murayama alerted with the look in his face.

“Arioka-San.”

Almost all of the boys stood up when the woman raised his hand. “You stay here. He doesn’t know that you’re here so please let me handle this. Don’t ever show any sign of your whereabouts here. Stay hide and calm. I can handle this.”

Without waiting for their respond, she walked out of the room and got readied herself to face the person she didn’t met for years.

“Long time no see, Arioka-San. What bring you here?”

The man turned to her with a stern face. “I want to meet my son.”

Murayama smiled. “Why do you think he’s here? I don’t even meet him for years. How does he look like?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t meet him for years. I need to meet him now.” He suddenly walked to the stairs just to be stopped by Murayama who was standing in front of the door.

“You’re not allowed to walk further, sir. I’m sorry.”

“I am allowed to roam over the house since years ago.”

Murayama smiled again. “Don’t you read the name tagged on the gate, Sir? This is no longer the Takaki Resident. This is Murayama resident now and I am the owner of this house, and I forbid you to walk more than that. I’m sorry. I took over this house since that day and I am the owner now.”

Arioka stunned. He stared at the woman intently.

“Please, leave. I have to go to my office to run my business. If you want to find your son, find him in another place because I swear I don’t know anything about his whereabouts. I don’t hide him here.”

The man stared at her and found undeniable seriousness in her eyes so he decided to turn over and walked away.

Everybody breathed heavily when a house-cleaner entered the kitchen and told them that the guest had left the house.

“I thought he will roam the house for sure.” Ryutaro mumbled softly while leaning his head on the table.

Takaki stood up and went to the fridge. He took out a bottle of water and took a big gulp at once. Silently he stared at Hikaru who stared back to him without words.

“So, Daiki isn’t in that house.” Yamada concluded loudly, made everyone stared at him. “Let’s roam around and find some clue. Staying here doing nothing made me tired.”

“You can’t do that, Ryosuke-Sama.” Irie cut him right away. “I’m sorry but it’s still dangerous for you to get out of this house.”

“But doing nothing and just staying in this house made no progress too. We can’t just sit around and doing nothing like now. We have to do something and the first thing to do is to find Daiki and bring him back here.”

“Perhaps we’ll find something on the way too.” Keito smiled as if he understood what Yamada tried to say.

The old man couldn’t say anything, even when Murayama was back to the room, she couldn’t do anything too to prevent them to go out of the house. Everybody stood up and walked away.

“I know your real purpose.” Takaki almost whispered the words when he passed Yamada by the door.

Yamada looked at him and felt his cheeks grew warm.

Takaki smirked and pointed at his own cheek. “You’re blushing.”

A punch landed on his arm and made him winced a little as the result.

“Why don’t we go together then? We can have a date?”

Now a kick landed on his shin, made him winced more.


	25. Welcome Back

“Ah, it starts blooming!”   
  
He looked up to the sky and found cherry buds at the tip of a tree. He smiled. “Not yet, but it will before you realize it.”   
  
“I hate winter. Everything looks blank. No blue sky, no trees, no flowers, everything is dull that season.”   
  
“It’s just a phase in the circle of our life.”   
  
Takaki turned to him and slightly pouted at the comment. “I always wonder why you like winter a lot. Now I know that it’s because you are as cold as winter itself.”   
  
He smiled. “Thank you.”   
  
“It’s not a compliment!”   
  
He smiled again and stared back to the front.   
  
“This world is beautiful, you know. Why don’t you try to look around and enjoy everything around you? Do it once then you will be addicted all your life.”   
  
He sighed. “Then we will regret it when Death comes to us while smiling in triumph and said _Okay, it’s time for you. You should leave this beautiful world and come with me._ It sucks you know, when someone grabbed your life just like that while you are enjoying it much. You knew how it feels so I guess it’s useless for me to give you any example.”   
  
He turned to him again and slightly saw a pain was drawn all over his face. He sighed and looked back to the front.   
  
“Yamada, are you still mourning about it?”   
  
There’s no answer but he didn’t need one. He was about to say something again when his phone buzzed. Yamada could see his face stiffened while receiving the call.   
  
“Let’s go.”   
  
It’s just a simple word but he knew they found a clue. He got out of the car and ran behind him. His heart almost stopped when he almost bumped him when suddenly he stopped in front of a building. He looked up and his eyes slightly widened at the realization. They’re in the police station.   
  
“Are you sure he’s here?”   
  
He didn’t get his answer so he just followed him entered the building where another person had waited for him inside the building.   
  
“How’s he?”   
  
“I didn’t meet him. Yet.”   
  
Both of them looked at each other.   
  
“So what are you doing here, Inoo-Kun? Why don’t you just get him out of here? I know you could easily do that. No one doubts your ability of negotiating.”   
  
“This is a public office, Mr. Takaki Yuya, and every public office is famous with its complicated bureaucracy. We have to wait for the inspector to be back.”   
  
“And where is he?”   
  
Before Inoo could answer him, a bunch of cop entered the room and the one looked like to be their leader smiled to them.   
  
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Would you please proceed to my office?”   
  
He didn’t stop walking like he didn’t need their answer. It made Yamada rolled his eyes in annoyance.   
  
_Civil servants._   
  
He walked hesitantly to follow because Takaki pulled him.   
  
“I can prove you that we do really know him, sir. He didn’t bring his ID because he left everything in the place where we’re living now. One of our friends is on the way here to bring his belongings. His ID, his passport, driving license, everything you want.”   
  
The inspector sighed heavily. He lifted a bundle of file and waved it in front of Inoo. “He is suspected of this murdering case that happened a week ago. An old man found died in the side of the river. He was there, holding the knife, and his fingerprints were all over the victim’s belongings. He was trying to rob him.”   
  
“That’s impossible, sir.” Yamada cut him before Inoo could say anything. “Perhaps he was the first person who arrived to the crime scene, but I assure you that he didn’t kill him. I believe that he was trying to help him. He was just checking whether he was still alive or not.”   
  
“He shouldn’t touch anything.”   
  
“He knew he shouldn’t touch anything but he did it. I believe that he found him still breathing that’s why he touched him. He wanted to help him but failed.”   
  
The door of the room opened and revealed two persons who walked in one after the other.   
  
“Daiki!”   
  
The called person looked up and his eyes widened. He stoned in his place and didn’t know what to do. More like he was confused about his own feeling. It twisted between excitement of seeing his friends that finally found him and he believed that they would release him from the place, and a guilt that suddenly aroused in his heart. He blinked many times in silent, and all of his twisted feeling vanished when he saw Inoo smiled in relieve. No words came out of the three persons but their look had explained everything. They wanted him to come back to them no matter what. They didn’t care about anything. He threw them an apologetic stare but they didn’t budge. They still insisted to get him back to them. He could read their mind even without they said anything.   
  
_I don’t care what you did. I don’t care what you have found. I want you to come back with us. I want you to stay with us._  
  
He sighed heavily when he felt he wouldn’t win against the three. He shrugged and threw himself to the couch. “Do whatever you want.” He mumbled lazily, made Inoo and Takaki tossed their hands together.   
  
“You knew that you will never win against them but still, you did it. Are you this stupid, Daiki?”   
  
He looked up and found a smirk tugged in the corner of Yamada’s lips.   
  
“Yamada Ryosuke, you’d better look at yourself before mocking me. You must be lost to them because you let yourself to be dragged here. Don’t you want to tell me what kind of bet you made that made they win over you?”   
  
“I know his secret.” Takaki almost whispered to him.   
  
“Shut up, Takaki!” Yamada hissed and whacked him on his arm.   
  
The inspector leaned to his chair while looking intently to the two persons who was arguing. He silently typed something in his computer and slightly stopped doing everything when he found the file. His finger tapped his table in a monotonous rhythm while reading it. He took a glace once and now to the two before decided to close the file.   
  
The door opened once again, revealed Hikaru who smiled widely suddenly when he saw Daiki was sitting on the couch.   
  
“I don’t care what had happened but I’m glad that you are really alive, safe, and sound. It was like hell in the house when you’re not around. Welcome back.”   
  
_Welcome back._  
  
The words rang over and over in his ears for few times. It sounded too beautiful to be true, but it’s a true. He was just saying it, right in front of him, and the rest of the three smiled again to him. He felt so happy so sudden until he felt his heart wanted to explode. He looked down to his shoes, made his bangs fell and covered half of his face. He closed his eyes tightly to prevent his tears to fall.   
  
“And Yuya, this is from Irie-San.” Hikaru handed him a little book. “He said it’s under your name and you can use it for everything you need.”   
  
Takaki furrowed his eyebrows when he opened the book. He stoned in his place when he read the last page, tried to ignore the whistling sound Hikaru made when he stole a glance to the book too.   
  
“You can buy a country with that amount of money.”Inoo blurted out of his mind loudly.   
  
Something popped up on his mind from the comment. “Is it possible for him to be released with a bail?”   
  
The inspector looked at him and suddenly felt defeated with his look. He sighed heavily. “Of course. You can do that, and I believe that you know the rule. Even if you release him with a bail, he couldn’t get out of this town until we solve the case. If he found guilty then he has still to be punished.”   
  
“You don’t have to do that, Takaki.”   
  
“Shut up, Daiki. This is my money and I can use it the way I want.” He looked back to the inspector. “I will release him with bail.”   
  
The man sighed and nodded many times. “Sure.”   
  
In no time, they had Daiki back to them. Inoo punched his arm lightly and smiled to him.   
  
“Let’s go home.”   
  
The words were too beautiful until Daiki lost his words once again. He smiled in relief, knowing that he still had a place to go. A place he called home.   
  
They were about to walk out the room when a hand reached Takaki’s arm. He turned over, led Yamada stopped and turned over too.   
  
“Can we talk?”   
  
The four of them looked at each other and decided to leave Takaki behind, but they stopped again when the inspector reached for Yamada’s arm.   
  
“You too.”   
  
Hikaru and Inoo looked at each other, made Daiki nudged them, and gave them a signal to leave them alone.   
  
The inspector closed the door and led both of them to his computer. He re-opened the file case, and showed them. Yamada hitched his breath while reading the title of the file. He fisted his hands tightly and took a glance to Takaki who kept silence for a moment.   
  
“We found a clue.”   
  
Takaki stared at his eyes deeply, like tried to read what’s hiding inside but found nothing aside of pure pleading look. He took a deep breath and released it slowly before smiled again.   
  
“We promised not to look back, sir. I’m sorry, but we had moved on.”   
  
He almost needed to grab Yamada to walk away from the room and almost dragged him to get out of the building.   
  
“He got the clue.” Yamada hissed when Takaki shoved him to the car.   
  
“I got a clue too.”   
  
The younger gaped at his answer but decided to keep his mouth shut when Inoo came.   
  
“I will ride with Hikaru. I take Daiki with me.”   
  
“Sure.” Takaki shrugged and put on his seatbelt.   
  
Inoo silenced for a while and decided to ask him the question he really wanted to ask. “Is this anything related to that shooting incident?”   
  
“Yes.”   
  
Inoo breathed heavily. “Okay. It’s all your right to choose. Good luck.” He walked away to the car in front of them.   
  
Takaki started the engine and slightly took a glance to Yamada.   
  
“Did you just pout?”   
  
Yamada turned to him with his eyes widened. “What?”   
  
“You just pouted few times ago.”   
  
“No way!”   
  
Takaki smiled when the latter looked away from him. He swore himself that he saw a tint of red on his cheeks. It confirmed him that he was right.   
  
In the other car, Daiki slightly smiled while looking up to the sky from the window. He just realized that it’s so beautiful.   
  
“Okay, can you tell me what you had found?”   
  
Daiki stoned. He never thought that Inoo would ask him the question.   
  
“Daiki, the dead body in the river. You found something that made you touch the body, right? Was he still alive when you arrived? What he told you?”   
  
Daiki slightly breathed heavily with the questions. He closed his eyes and opened them again in relieve.   
  
“Listen, if you think I will ask you what you had found about your father then you’re wrong. I don’t care even if your father is the king of the demon. You are who you are, okay. You are just Daiki and you are a part of our family. End of discussion.”   
  
Daiki slightly smiled to the comment and silently thanked Inoo for his trust.   
  
“He said something about that Takagi Mamoru. He said that I should be careful, but when I wanted to ask him more he couldn’t make it.”   
  
“You found anything from his belongings?”   
  
Daiki smiled and looked outside the window. “Can we go the crime scene?”   
  
Hikaru smiled and suddenly turned to his left, led Takaki to do the same, and made all of the cars on the street stopped abruptly as the result.   
  


  
~~~~  


  
“Wow, this is awesome.”

Inoo leaned on the table beside Ryutaro who was still typing his keyboard fast. “Wow. They have tons of soldiers, with a various level. Are they going to build a country?”

“Perhaps they will do a coup?”

Everybody turned to Yamada who just shrugged to them.

“With that many of soldiers with various levels and routine, I believe they plan something big. Dig more then you will find familiar names on the uppers side, trust me.”

Ryutaro looked at Inoo in silent before continuing his search and everybody stoned in their place when the monitor showed them a list of people.

“Wow ...” Chinen and Yuto couldn’t hold their feeling while reading each name on the list.

Yabu gritted his teeth because almost in the end of the list he found the name he wished he never found it.

Akanishi Jin.

He felt his heart stopped beating. He felt like the world had stopped moving. He gulped many times, and closed his eyes, silently wished that when he opened his eyes again he wouldn’t find the name. He was wrong. He opened his eyes and still found the name on the list. It didn’t move and stayed still in the almost end of the list. He turned around and slowly walked out of the room to the balcony.

The fresh wind of the spring blew his face gently. He inhaled the air deeply, and breathed it away in a strong push, hoped that all of the burdens that suddenly aroused in his heart blown away with the air. It didn’t.

“So I guess I have to ask you apologize for scolding you when you threw my jacket away.”

He smiled bitterly and look up to the sky.

“Because if you don’t do that, perhaps we all had died already.”

Yabu didn’t respond. He lost his words and his mind couldn’t think anything suitable to respond. He turned and found a soothing smile beamed to him.

“Kei ... “

“Don’t say anything because you did the right thing. You’re not being paranoid when you decided to throw away everything you’ve touched that time. You just tried to be careful, and it saved us.”

Yabu smiled and somehow felt a little relieved with the words.

“Thank you.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

Inoo patted his arm gently and walked back to the room, to be welcomed with a bright smile of Ryutaro

“I found their base~”

He rushed to the monitor and looked intently to it. “It’s not far from here.”

“What should we do?”

Yabu walked in with a determination look on his face. “We’re just going to take revenge to the person who blew our house, no more than that.”

Everybody smiled and nodded in agreement.

“It’s not our business anymore about what will happen to this country because we found out that we were being used all these times. They trained us to do a coup to this country, glad that we found it before we do it, so I suggest we walk out of the troop. Anyone deny me?”

Yabu looked around and found no one of his friends had any expression of disagreement with him. He sighed in relief.

“Anyone want to go with me now?”

Everyone stood up right away and walked passed him with a confident smile, made him chuckled lightly to their attitude.

Everything moved too fast even for them to think about everything. They just wanted to take revenge to the persons who blew their house so they went straight to the place where they could find them. Inside a building, they split up and walked around as silent as possible, tried to avoid any contact with the other persons unrelated to their mission.

Hikaru peeked to a room and found nobody. He entered and looked around carefully. It was then when he felt the present of another person in the same room.

“Well, well, well, long time no see~. You grew up into a very beautiful person, Hika-Chan.”

Hikaru stunned in his place. He wanted to run, but his feet rooted in his place. He couldn’t move even a finger.


	26. Curiosity

“Well, well, well, long time no see~. You grew up into a very beautiful person, Hika-Chan.”   
  
Hikaru stoned in his place. He wanted to run, but his feet rooted in his place. He couldn’t move even a finger.   
  
“Look at you. I thought I was dreaming when I saw you few days ago, in that building, I thought it was just an illusion.” The man smiled and stopped right in front of him. His hand raised and he caressed his cheek lovingly. “How long we don’t meet? Why I suddenly feel like I was wasting my time for not watching you growing up? Oh my God! I’m such a fool for leaving you behind. I should bring you with me back then.”   
  
Hikaru wanted to slap the hand but he lost his power. He felt like he turned off so sudden and couldn’t recharge himself.   
  
“No ... “  
  
“What? I can’t hear you. Don’t you want to at least give me a hug? For the old days?”   
  
The man just stepped closer to Hikaru when suddenly his body was pushed away with a hard blow on his side. He looked at the person who just kicked him just to receive a punch on his jaw.   
  
“DON’T! TOUCH! HIM!”   
  
Takaki kept punching and kicking him and gave him no chance at all to attack him back. He was raging, his sight almost blinded with his anger. He didn’t care about his own knuckles that turned red from the bleed.   
  
At once, the man fell down to the floor, and Takaki ran over him, sat on his thigh and pulled his blade. In full force, he stabbed the man on his left chest. He panted when he saw the man stared at him in horror. He gritted his jaws hardly before pulled the knife. The blood spurted on his face. He just wiped it with his free hand and stabbed him again in his stomach.   
  
The hasty step moved closer and revealed his friends were hurrying themselves after hearing his shout.   
  
Everybody gaped at the sight in front of them. The usual chirped Hikaru was frozen in his place and didn’t move any inch. They could see him trembled slightly while shifted from his place. His eyes darted to Takaki who stabbed a middle-aged man not far from him. Keito moved forward followed by the others. They grabbed Takaki to stop, forced him to stay away from the already dead man.   
  
It needed some of them to keep him stay in his place while Inoo was observing the man. He looked at them and shook his head.   
  
“What’s wrong with you? You never did something messy like this.” Yabu threw him a sharp look, demanded any answer to explain what he just did.   
  
Takaki gritted his jaws tightly. He was still holding the blade he used to stab the man, which hurriedly Yuri took it from him and kept it away.   
  
“You always did it cleanly, with just one shot, and no bloodily. What happened to you? This is so not you, Takaki Yuya.” Yamada stared at the bloody body on the floor and slightly felt his body shivered with the sight.   
  
A bloody body.   
  
The scene brought his memory back to him, the memory of bloody bodies of his family that fell one by one in front of him.   
  
_What are you thinking, Takaki? I don’t understand you at all. You said that you moved on yesterday, but what did you just do? You did the same thing with the people who killed our family. You spilled the blood too much. Why did you do that? What is your reason? Is he the clue you said yesterday? If so, isn’t it a great chance to know everything about the rest of them? But why do you kill him? Do you hide something? Something I shouldn’t know?_  
  
Yamada slightly furrowed his eyebrows while the thought showered him like a heavy rain in his mind. He didn’t voice out his thought because he looked at Inoo who suddenly stared at him intently, threw him a silent question about Takaki. He shook his head lightly, gave him a sign that he really didn’t know anything about what had Takaki done.   
  
Takaki was still panting. He didn’t answer every question directed to him. He turned to Hikaru and walked over to him. He reached for his arm and slightly pulled him to stand up and dragged him away.   
  
“Takaki, you’re still not answering my question. What happened?”   
  
“It’s nothing.”   
  
Yabu stared at him intently and saw clearly that he was hiding something. The way he dragged Hikaru, who was still trembling, was strange. He looked at the others and saw a silent question formed on their faces, but no one dared to voice out their thought. Takaki was always calm so far they remembered, but they just saw him raged and couldn’t control his emotion. They could see clearly that the anger was burning inside him. The flame of the fire inside him portrayed in his eyes clearly like a smoldering blaze.   
  
The way Hikaru behaved was not helping at all. They never saw him that fragile. He was the prankster, the joker, the mood maker, the person who always tried hard to make them stayed in a good mood all the time. All they saw now was far from the picture they had about him. There’s no wide smile that always plastered on his face, no mischievous smirk, and no loud laugh like before. It looked that he shut down himself from everything.   
  
“Takaki, at least would you give us a reason why did you do that? Stabbed him many times until he bathed in his own blood?”   
  
“I told you it’s nothing!”   
  
Everyone stopped walking at the sudden yell from him. They could see the anger was still burning through his eyes.   
  
“Let’s go home. I need to clean up. This stupid blood stinks too much.”   
  
He walked away just like that, ignoring all of the silent questions in his friends’ eyes, and almost harshly dragging Hikaru to walk away from the place. He gripped his arm as if he loose it Hikaru would fall or just stopped walking. He shoved him to the car like he was a child who needed a help to enter it.   
  
He was silent along the way home. He sat beside Hikaru all the time, watched over him like a mother lion that was watching its child, which made the other assured that something was really wrong. Everybody could only stare at each other, threw a silent question about what was going on just to receive a silent shake of their head. They had no idea about what was going on. They only saw the way Takaki gritted his jaws and the too silent Hikaru was very suspicious. They only know that the two were hiding something. Something they didn’t want anybody else to know. Something the others really wanted to know.   
  
“He wasn’t afraid of what Takaki did. There’s something else. Something which made him scared like that and made Takaki raged.” Inoo stopped his typing and looked at the others one night. Everybody was gathering in the kitchen, waiting for Daiki to serve their food.   
  
“Hey, this is Hikaru we’re talking about, guys. There’s nothing made him afraid.”   
  
“But he was.”   
  
Inoo breathed heavily. He knew Yabu was right after all, so he focused back to his PC.   
  
“Got something?” This time Yuto was the one who asked him curiously.   
  
He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s clean. I can’t find anything from his past. Not even the name of his family. He grew up in the orphanage where Takaki was entrusted after the shooting incident and no history at all. The owner of the orphanage found him in front of the door when he was a baby and he wasn’t carrying any information at all, aside of a piece of paper with _Hikaru_ written on it.”   
  
“So, if there is something happened in the past, it must be the time when Takaki had already entrusted to the orphanage. If that so, then Takaki raged is very reasonable. He knew what had happened to Hikaru.”   
  
“But he won’t say a thing even if you threaten to kill him. He will keep his mouth shut and won’t spill anything. Not even a single word. Now I’m sure that he does really know something about Hikaru’s past.” Chinen pursed his lips upward. “He is always being secretive when it comes to Hikaru.”   
  
“Are you jealous?” Keito patted his head while passing him by.   
  
The shortest of them threw a sharp look and earned a light laugh from Keito.   
  
“They are definitely hiding something. I actually saw them threw a suspicious look at each other many times, especially lately. It looks like, they’re talking to each other without words. They just have to look at each other, and they suddenly understood just like that. The way Takaki shut his mouth tightly when we’re talking about Hikaru is also suspicious. Don’t you think so?” Inoo looked at them to see their respond.   
  
“I saw it too many times before.” Yuto agreed him. “And they always fell into a serious conversation every time they’re alone. I never found any clue about what they’re talking about because they did it in a very low voice. It likes, they didn’t want anybody to hear anything.”   
  
“Maybe they had a promise about something?”   
  
They thought deeply what Yabu just said.   
  
“Why don’t you try to find the background of the man Takaki killed yesterday? Maybe you’ll find the clue?”   
  
Everybody turned to Yamada who said it calmly while looking at his magazine. Without answering him, Inoo typing the name of the man Takaki killed yesterday fast and not long after that, he stunned in his place. “Oh my God.” He mumbled lowly but enough for everybody in the room heard him.   
  
“What?” Yabu moved over and stood behind him.   
  
“Murata Takeru, twenty five years old, the staff of an orphanage down town, sentenced in jail for eight months.”   
  
Daiki stopped his cooking and blinked many times. “For?”   
  
Inoo gulped many times, but before he could answer the younger’s question, the door of the kitchen opened and revealed Takaki who walked lazily to the fridge.   
  
“Can you help me to bring this to the table? And next time remind me that there’s an annual vacation for all the staffs in this house and no one of them left behind, so I could prepare you something early.”   
  
Takaki turned to Daiki with apologetic look in his face and put his bottle of water on the fridge to help the younger. Silently he did what the younger asked him and no one asked him anything along the dinner.   
  
Right after he put his spoon, Takaki cleared his throat. He looked over the table before bowed deeply to all of them. “I’m really sorry for what I did. I didn’t mean to shout to all of you. I’m sorry.”   
  
A soft tap made him lift his head and he found Inoo’s calming smile darted to him. “It’s okay. Don’t mind us. Sometimes we need to let everything out of our mind to ease our feeling, right? Are you okay now?”   
  
He smiled and nodded lightly.   
  
“I guess I have to go first. Night, everybody.”   
  
Once they couldn’t hear Takaki’s steps on the corridor, everybody turned to Inoo who looked back at them awkwardly.   
  
“What?” Yuri demanded him impatiently.   
  
Inoo sighed at the demand. He looked at the door, afraid of Takaki suddenly walked back to the room and breathed heavily to the fact that he didn’t.   
  
_I’m sorry Takaki. I shouldn’t tell this to them but we’re dying to know the reason of your weird behavior._  
  
“Pedophile.”   
  
A loud thud heard when a plate slipped from Daiki’s hand. The sound of its broken echoed around the room, made everybody turned to the person who looked at the floor immediately.   
  
“Sorry.” He whispered lowly before taking care of the fractions.   
  
Everyone in the room turned to Daiki who looked trying hard to hide his feeling.   
  
“Daiki? Are you okay?” Chinen moved over him and helped him to clean up the broken plate.   
  
Daiki smiled widely at him. “I’m fine, really. I’m just surprised that behind his stupid pranks he hides something big like that. I’ve never expected, you know.”   
  
Everyone else in the room looked at each other while thinking the same thing with him.   
  


  
~~~~

  
Takaki slowly took steps downstairs, tried hard not to make any sound. He looked around the empty room when he reached the very base of the staircase. He turned to one door and slowly opened it. He almost held his breath when finally he stepped into the room. The pictures of his parents’ were suddenly flashed in his mind over and over, made him stumbled over the table near him, made someone suddenly held him tightly, as if understood about what was happening to him. The one led him to sit on the bed and watched him carefully.

“Are you okay now?”

He took a deep breath before nodded. “I’m …, fine. I’m sorry. What are you doing here?”

The one sighed heavily and walked to the large window. He peeked through a slight opened window and saw nothing other than a dimly lit atmosphere in the garden. “You told me that you found a clue.”

Takaki sighed and laid down himself to the bed. He folded his hands and made them as a pillow beneath his head. “What will you do if I tell you the clue? We promised not to do anything to anybody from our past.”

“But you just killed someone from your past.”

“I don’t remember that I promised not to kill someone from our past. I just promised that I won’t do anything with anybody who killed my parents.”

He rolled his eyes.

_Word game. You’re really good with that, I admit it._

“You know I won’t do anything with them as Yuto said, I just want to know the reason. Why should they been murdered? Did they do something wrong so they deserved to be murdered? Those questions had stayed in my mind for who knows how long and I need the answer so I could sleep well. I’m tired of those nightmares.”

Takaki got up and stared intently to the figure who was now staring back at him in the dark. “Can I ask you one thing?”

“What?”

“Yamada, are you lonely? Do you miss them?”

The younger turned away to the window and once again peeked to the outside. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. “Yes. Is that wrong?”

“No. Not at all. Sometimes I feel so lonely and miss them too. I miss how they spoiled me. I miss the way they scolded me when I did something wrong. I miss how strict they were about manners. I miss everything about them.”

Yamada gripped the curtain tightly from the rush of a strange feeling that suddenly filling his heart. Something had stuck in his throat, made him hard to say something. He blinked many times because suddenly a set of tears filled his eyes. He didn’t want to cry so he gritted his teeth tighter to prevent himself from crying.

“But I know that we can’t get everything we want in this life. Sometimes we have to choose whether we should go on or just stop. And I guess it is better for us to just stop now.”

Yamada closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Who will be hurt if we follow the clue and continue the search?”

Takaki looked down to his feet but said nothing.


	27. You're Not Alone

Yamada closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Who will be hurt if we follow the clue and continue the search?”   
  
Takaki looked down to his feet but said nothing.   
  
“Takaki ...”   
  
“Do you really want to know? Is it important for you to know everything I found? Are you sure, you really want to know? What if I say that we will hurt everybody if we continue the search? What if I say that we will surely hate each other if we continue this?”   
  
Yamada gulped slightly at the frantic question from the older. A part of him was curious so bad about what the older had found about the truth because he was tired of the dark, but another part of him suddenly yelled to himself not to ask him more because he knew that he couldn’t handle whatever fact he would hear. They were his family now. It was so desperate when they didn’t know about Daiki’s whereabouts, he admitted himself couldn’t sleep well at night those nights when he lost contact with him, and he suddenly couldn’t imagine if suddenly they torn apart because of his selfish will.   
  
“Can we drop this? Please? I know it’s hard but it will be harder for us to forget if we continue this.”   
  
Yamada stared at the older intently. Even in the dark, he could see everything in those eyes. He could clearly see the hurt in his eyes. The hurt he tried to cover. He could see how hard he tried to suppress his own emotion. He could see his twisted feeling about wanting to know the reason of the killing of his family and preventing of hurting another person on the way.   
  
He sighed and peeked outside once again.   
  
_Is it that bad? Will we hurt everybody if we continue this so you try to suppress your own feeling? Will we hurt everybody so you have to hold your own feeling? What have you found actually?_  
  
“But I still want to know. Yuto is right. I want to know the reason.”   
  
“Even if you know that you will hurt someone because of that? Come on! This is not you. Everybody said you are cold. Yes, you look cold. The way you acted, the way you reacted, everything you did showed that you are cold, but I know that you are actually not that cold. You just don’t want to be hurt once again. You don’t want to have another feeling of losing someone important to you once again. You’re not ready to lose someone again. Not when you’re still trying to cope up with everything. You just afraid of the repeating feeling you tried to forget. You just … “  
  
“Stop it!”   
  
Takaki stood up and walked over to the window. He stood right behind him. “Just admit that deep inside you, you don’t want to hurt anybody else. So why don’t we stop this?”   
  
Yamada bit his lower lips hard but his tears betrayed him. They stubbornly rolled down his cheeks.   
  
“I miss them a lot.”   
  
He almost mumbled the words but clear enough for Takaki to catch them.   
  
“I just want to know why. They were good people. Never once in my life I see them hurting someone else. Why should they be killed? I want to know the reason.   
  
Takaki looked away. “I know. Me too.” He patted his back gently. “Sometimes I wonder, what I would do if they’re still alive. Many times I’ve tried to imagine about we’re going out together, to the beach, playing ball, making sand castles, or just sitting on the beach and doing nothing. Many times I’ve had imagined how I feel if they’re still alive, about how happy I am.” He moved aside and leaned to the wall. “Would we meet to each other? If so, will we feel the same as now? Would we be this close?”   
  
Yamada wiped his tears fast and gritted his teeth tightly. He had never thought that Takaki would say something like that.   
  
No.   
  
He had never thought that the older had such thought. He looked fine all these times. Every day he would smile and laugh out loudly as if he never had any burden inside him. He looked free. He looked never care about the reason of the killing of his family. He looked never care about his past.   
  
He was wrong.   
  
The older cared as much as he did about the incident. He even thought about everything. He searched about it silently. He never showed his fragile heart to anyone else. He was as mourned as he did. He had been dreaming those nightmares too.   
  
_And what I did all these times? I don’t even move on. I am still mourning about it. My mind blocked because of that. I’m blinded with my anger of those people who killed my family. I don’t know that I am this stupid. I should do what he had done. I should move on. I can’t lock myself into this stupid anger anymore. I have to get out of this feeling. He will be inside me forever I believe. He will never leave me alone. We are family now._  
  
“Yabu once said to me that everyone connected to each other with one fate. I was confused about what he tried to say that time but now I know that perhaps he tried to say that I am connected to you. We’re bonded with that memory.”   
  
Yamada closed his eyes and silently agreed him. Since he found out that Takaki was there in the same place with him when the shooting incident happened, and experienced the same episode of life, which means he had the same memory with him, he felt different with the older. He had a feeling that he was his only family left. No blood bond but he felt very close to him.   
  
“A part of me still wants to know about the clue you’ve found.”   
  
Takaki smiled before chuckled lightly. “Do you think I don’t? Do you think when I say let’s forget about this, I have erased all the curiosity in my heart?”   
  
He turned to Yamada.   
  
“Well, I don’t. A part of me still wants to search more about the clue, but another part of me had stopped it. That part wants to move on badly and doesn’t want to look back.”   
  
“I want to be that confident too.”   
  
Suddenly, both of them stunned while looking at each other in silence. Together they moved fast to the door and opened it abruptly just to find Hikaru was sitting on the floor and leaning to the wall.   
  
“Sorry. Don’t mean to eavesdrop.”   
  
Takaki reached for his arm and pulled him to stand up.   
  
“Come on in.”   
  
“No. I’ll just go back to my room.”   
  
“Oh, cut it out, Hikaru.”He pushed him to enter the room and closed the door. “You can’t sleep in the dark in this condition, and you will choose to stay awake all night without me beside you, so shut up and lie down. Yamada and I will stay here with you. You’re okay with that, right?” He turned to Yamada for the last question to assure himself that the younger was okay.   
  
He didn’t say anything but didn’t look objected too. He walked over to the window once again.   
  
“Can we … “  
  
“No. I’m sorry, Hikaru, but we can’t turn on the light now. There’s something strange outside since this evening. There’s a strange move around the side garden. Everybody else is watching as well and we agreed to keep the house in the dark. That’s why I shut off the light in your room.”   
  
“Oh. Okay. Sorry.”   
  
Yamada took a glance to the joker and slightly caught a little disappointment in his voice. He turned to Takaki who was walking over to him and pushed him to lie down on the bed.   
  
“Come on. I won’t go anywhere. Just go to sleep. I’ll be here no matter what.”   
  
It was very strange for Yamada looking at the joker who obediently did everything Takaki told him. He looked too fragile for a person who was famous as a mastermind. He directed most of their strategies so far, and no one of them failed. No one dared to joke around to him in a serious situation, even their seniors, and now he looked like he was nobody. He looked malfunctioned. The usual chirped Hikaru was too silent since they got home today. No pranks and not even a mischievous smile tugged on his lips today. He didn’t even go out of his room for the rest of the time. Takaki was the one insisted to bring his food and now he wondered if Takaki should feed him to make him eat.   
  
The situation was too eerie too when they talked about the joker. They found something but they didn’t want to conclude anything. It’s enough for them to be led to one unpleasant hypothesis which they didn’t like at all. They hated it but they couldn’t say it. The last few hours was too suffocated for them. The way Takaki acted along the dinner wasn’t helping at all to break the ice. He was too silent too, and tried hard not to touch the subject. They could only look at each other along the dinner, tried to suppress the biggest questions that suddenly aroused in their heart.   
  
_What had actually happened? Why should you kill him like that? Why Hikaru looked terrified until you should help him to walk along the way home? Why he didn’t go out of the room after that? Why don’t you allow us to enter his room?_  
  
Yamada turned to the window and peeked outside. Once again, there’s nothing. He sighed slightly and once again took a glance to the bed and wondered if Takaki would stay always beside him even when a danger suddenly appeared.   
  
_I believe you will desperately protect him. I don’t know what happened in your past but I still remember clearly when you saved me that time. Honestly, that time, I felt that I was the most blessed and most fortunate person for making you as my ally._  
  
He once again turned to both of them and his eyebrows furrowed a little. Hikaru looked like a little child who was just awaken from having a nightmare and walked around to find comfort, and it looked he found it. He looked comfortable with the companion of Takaki. Very comfortable until he looked didn’t realize that there’s someone else in the room with them.   
  
_No. He didn’t see me from the beginning. He was there outside the door because he tried to find Takaki. He must’ve been wandering around the house to find him when he didn’t see him in his room and didn’t want to bother when he heard us talking. He needs Takaki. That’s why he decided to wait for Takaki to come out of the room. He didn’t care about who is the one whom Takaki talk with. He just needs Takaki to be there beside him._  
  
His train of thought stopped when suddenly he heard a little muffle came from the bed. He stepped closer to stop in few steps just to realize that it was Takaki who tried to sooth Hikaru in his sleep.   
  
Hikaru was having a nightmare.   
  
He was about to turn back when he saw the joker suddenly sat from the bed with hard panting.   
  
“It’s okay. It’s just a dream. You’re safe. No one will harm you.” Takaki almost whispered but loud enough for Yamada to hear him. He walked to the window and stood silently in front of a slight opened curtain.   
  
Hikaru closed his eyes tightly and opened them again to see Takaki was staring at him in worry. He smiled slightly. “I know.”   
  
Takaki patted his arm gently.   
  
He face palmed himself and then brushed his hair with his fingers. “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”   
  
“No you’re not.”   
  
“I can’t get over it. I’ve tried but I can’t move on. It haunted me like it glued to me.”   
  
“You are moving on. At least you didn’t kick me and punch me tonight. You’re just rebelling and didn’t shouting.”   
  
“Such a sweet word.”   
  
“It’s not. I got readied myself to be punched and kicked by you when I saw you’re restless in your sleep few minutes ago, but you didn’t do anything aside of rebelling me.”   
  
Hikaru breathed heavily and laid down.   
  
“You have to give yourself time to move on. You can’t just change in one night. You’re not Houdini. You’re just a plain human being and not even an angel.”   
  
He smiled. “You copied my words.”   
  
Takaki smiled and punched him playfully. “So you remember those words. You said that to me almost every day years ago, and now I give those words back to you.”   
  
Yamada pouted slightly. He gripped the curtain tightly. A slight jealousy crept out on his heart.   
  
_That’s why you moved on this fast. You have someone beside you always. You have him beside you always. You have him to support you every time you start to break._  
  
He turned to the dark garden in front of him and smiled bitterly.   
  
_While I don’t have anyone else beside me. I’m all alone._  
  
“You’re not alone if that what you’re thinking now, Yamada. You have me, and all of the family. We’re not going anywhere. We will stay wherever you are.”   
  
He turned to the source of the voice and found undeniable seriousness in his eyes. It darted straight to his heart and made him stunned for a while.   
  



	28. Friend or Foe?

He inhaled the air deeply before throwing it out strongly and smiled.  
  
_I can’t wait until the cherry blooms. It is a beautiful day and I want the cherry to bloom fast so I can be sure that it’s spring already. I’m bored with this cold weather every day._  
  
He jolted hard when a hand grabbed him and dragged him to an empty alley near him. He was ready to fight when a hand gripped his wrist, prevented him from attacking.  
  
“Thank you God, you’re alive. Where are the others? They’re okay, aren’t they?”  
  
He blinked many times in silence and slightly breathed in relief when he was sure of who was cornering him. He stared at the person intently without saying anything for a moment. His mind twisted between not trusting anybody after the blow and the feeling of admiration he had since forever to the person.  
  
“Please, tell me.”  
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
“We’re looking for you, all of us. We’re desperately trying to find your whereabouts since we found out about the blow. You just disappeared. No trace we can find to locate you. Where have you been? Are you really okay? Every one of you saves, right?”  
  
He didn’t say anything. He just blinked repeatedly, felt doubtful whether he should answer the question honestly or should avoid him.  
  
“Please, tell me you’re fine. Tell me that no one hurt.”  
  
He sighed heavily but said nothing. He looked to his back and decided to leave. He walked back to the main road but stayed silent.  
  
“Chinen Yuri, please. Say something.”  
  
He stopped abruptly and turned over. He stared at him deeply through his eyes but found nothing but pureness of his heart.  
  
“Please?”  
  
“How do you know my name?”  
  
The question almost startled him. He stared back to Yuri and slightly gulped.  
  
“Ohno-Senpai, please, tell me how do you know my name. I never mentioned it before even in front of my group, so how do you know my name?”  
  
“I ..., mm, I ... “  
  
“We lost trust to anybody right now, and if you think I will tell you anything about us, you are wrong. We have the lead to who is the one who blow our house, and trust me, I won’t give any piece of information about us even to you. If it means that I have to lose my life in your hand, I don’t mind at all. At least I have my mouth closed still and I don’t leak any information about us. I’m sorry. You can kill me if you want. I’m ready. Any time.”  
  
“Yuri ... “  
  
Yuri smiled widely and turned back before walking away.  
  
_Prove me that I can trust you._  
  
He breathed deeply, got readied himself from any pain that would attack him, but nothing. He almost reached the main road but there’s nothing happened. He didn’t even feel any slight of pain, not even a sound of a step, or a sound of the trigger being pulled. He stopped and turned back to see no one in the alley. It’s empty. There were just cold winds that blew over him, shivered him slightly. He pulled his jacket tightly to hide the sudden uncomfortable feeling of the eerie atmosphere he felt.  
  
He blinked many times before deciding to turn back to the main road and prevented himself from moving any further when three figures suddenly appeared in front of him. They said nothing. He didn’t feel any sense of dangerous from them too. They were just staring at him in silent.  
  
“Excuse me, you’re blocking my way?”  
  
The two of them smiled together. It was so dazzling until he felt like he’s going to blind at the moment but he didn’t.  
  
“You can call me Angel, and this is not your place. So please, let me take you to the place where you belong to.”  
  
He titled my head confusedly. He looked back to the empty alley behind him and wondered.  
  
_Of course this isn’t my place. This is just an abandoned alley where I suddenly dragged by Ohno-Senpai._  
  
He looked back to the three persons who were smiling at him and he stunned. Behind them, standing a familiar figure he missed so much, a figure that he wanted to meet for whatever the cost, the figure who was smiling warmly to him too.  
  
“Mom ... “  
  
“You have to go with them. They are right. This isn’t the place for you to go. Not now. You have to go back to your friends. Your family.”  
  
He turned and met with the eyes of a middle-aged man who was staring at him lovingly.  
  
“Dad ... “  
  
“Listen, dude. You’re smart from the very beginning. I guess you know the meaning of _this isn’t your place._ ”  
  
He turned again to meet with a little girl who was standing beside the figure he called _mom_ , who was folding her arms together in front of her chest.  
  
“Saaya. You ..., you don’t change at all.”  
  
“Of course I don’t. I will still be young forever even if you grow old. I will still be cute even when you grow beard all over your face.”  
  
The figure he called _mom_ smiled again to him and nodded. “We always love you. That’s why you have to keep strong. You can’t give up now. They’re waiting for you to come back. They can’t wait to see your smile again.”  
  
He turned to Angel and looked back to the other two figures. “But ... “ He lost his words. He didn’t know how. He just suddenly forgot about everything on his mind. About his whereabouts or even about what he wanted to talk.  
  
“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to your friends.”  
  
He turned to another person with blue aura, who touched his back gently. It was so warm.  
  
“This is really not the place for you to stay. I know you miss your family but please, this isn’t your time yet. You still have so many things to do, and it’s not here.”  
  
Yuri blinked. He silently agreed him when something flashed in his mind.  
  
“And who are you? You kept watching me and said nothing. You always stared at me. Why didn’t you greet me?”  
  
“Because I have another thing to do with you. I’m quite busy you know. I thought you’re just visiting this place, like some people did, but then I realize that you stayed too long in this place. So let me take you back to your place so I could put everything in order. I don’t want to mess this place, okay?”  
  
Then he then turned to dark figure not far from him. The figure kept staring at him too from the start but he didn’t feel any fear of the figure. The figure carried something very long on his shoulder and there’s something shining on the top of it. He didn’t know what it was but it made him shuddered every time he looked at it. But, the figure gave him the warm aura. It’s different from his all black look and his hidden face.  
  
“Why don’t you tell him that this is not his place? He should’ve come back to his place if you told him immediately after his arriving.” Angel reminded the dark figure.  
  
“I’m not talking to human. I’m taking their live, not making any conversation with them.”  
  
“But you knew that this isn’t his time. Isn’t that the reason why you just following him around and not slashing him. Am I wrong with that?”  
  
“Shut up. I told you that I don’t talk to human.”  
  
“He’s kind of childish.”  
  
The blue figure whispered at his ears. It’s tickling until he unconsciously giggled lightly.  
  
“Shut up, Fate. You’re talking too much.”  
  
A smell of disinfectant struck him hard when he blinked his eyes open the next second. He stunned to the sight in front him. He saw his own body was lying helplessly, connected to hoses and a mask to help him breath.  
  
_What happened to me? Why don’t I remember at all?_  
  
“Don’t think too much. Just go back to your body and open your eyes. Your friends are more than willing to welcome you back.”  
  
He turned to the blue figure who was smiling to him.  
  
“Are you sure? I mean, look at that monitor. Every sign of it told us that I don’t have much chance.”  
  
“You have a big chance to get another round because I don’t see your name in my list, which means, this isn’t your time. Come on. Don’t make them wait longer than you did. You won’t believe me how long you have been loitering around this place.”  
  
“How long?”  
  
The blue figure didn’t answer. He just smiled and raised his hands. “Figure it out when you wake up later.”  
  
Yuri looked at him in wonder.  
  
“Oops. If you don’t mind, please send my regard to one of your friends. The one who is tall and tanned skin, and red-brown hair?”  
  
“Yuya?”  
  
The blue figure didn’t answer him again. He pushed him gently to the bed, and before he could ask him more, he felt like he was being pulled to the body that was lying on it.  
  
Everything was blury. He could feel his body was too heavy to be moved. Hie eyes were glued and didn’t want to cooperate. He desperately wanted to open the but it felt so hard.  
  
“Come on, don’t give. Just open it.”  
  
The voice was familiar and calming, and he became more desperate to see the owner. He tried and fought hard to open them.  
  
“Nice to see you again.”  
  
Wide smiles and soft taps on his body welcomed him when finally he opened his eyes fully. A warm atmosphere suddenly enveloped him, made him thanked himself for fighting to get his consciousness back.  
  
“You worried us like death because there’s no sign that you will wake up. But thank you to hear our call. Thank you for coming back.”  
  
Yuri blinked slowly to the oldest of them and once again thanked himself for fighting hard to wake up.  
  
“Yuri, answer me honestly. Are you in love with Takaki?”  
  
A hard slap on his head made him yelped right after he finished his words. He turned over to see Yamada was staring at him innocently.  
  
“What was that for?”  
  
“For giving him a stupid question that doesn’t need any answer.”  
  
Daiki pouted hard, made Keito giggled lightly and secretly winked to Yuri.  
  
“Why should you ask that question by the way? Among all of the possibility questions you should ask for the person who just woke up from his unconsciousness.” Takaki raised his eyebrows and darted him a serious look.  
  
Daiki sighed dramatically. “After almost two weeks unconscious, the first name he called right before he got up is you. doesn’t it mean something? Perhaps he loves you.”  
  
_Almost two weeks. Is it that long? Aren’t I just an hour or so being unconscious?_  
  
A soft knowck on the door made everyone looked at it together. Keito, the one who stood the closest it opened it silently.  
  
“Hi ..., long time no see. How’s the injured boy?”  
  
Everybody lost their words looking at the small group that just arrive.  
  
“Thank God that you’re fine. We’re so desperate to find your whereabouts.”  
  
“Shut up, Sho. You’re not just desperate, but you don’t even sleep for days after you know about the blow and you can’t find any news about them.”  
  
“Shut up you two. Hey, are you okay?” Ohno moved closer to Yuri who was just staring at him in silence.  
  
“He just woke up.” Inoo finally woke up from the trance. He moved closer to Ohno.  
  
“Shouldn’t you call the doctor?”  
  
“I’ll do it.”  
  
Daiki ran out of the room before everybody could say anything. Not more than five minutes he came back together with a doctor and a nurse who told them to go out of the room so they could examine Yuri.  
  
_Run._  
  
Takaki stunned and looked at their guests. There’s nothing wrong with them. They looked exactly like he always knew them. They didn’t change at all. He took a glance to the corridor but found nothing. It was just the usual hospital corridor where doctors and nurses were almost ran to get through it. There’s nothing wrong.  
  
“We tried everything to find you. It’s not just us, actually. We can say that almost all of the main groups are trying to find your whereabouts but found nothing. You just disappeared. Where have you been?”  
  
“Somewhere.” Yamada answer them fast before anyone else could answer the question. “We’re save so far, until Yuri got shot. I don’t know now.”  
  
“I know you can’t trust us, but trust me, we’re your ally. I don’t know who blow your house yet but we’re still trying to find any clue. Everyone of us.”  
  
Yabu darted a sharp look to Yamada who suddenly canceled his words with the look in the face of their oldest guy.  
  
_Please, run._  
  
Takaki stunned for a while before decided to walk.  
  
“Yuya, where are you going?”  
  
“Toilet.”  
  
He didn’t even looked back to them and just walked away. He closed the door and went to the faucet. He opened and the water poured down his hand. He looked himself in the mirror and found a fear drawn on his eyes.  
  
_What are you trying to tell me, Mom? Why do you keep telling me to run when we just know that we’re not alone?_  
  
He closed the faucet and stunned.  
  
_Are we wrong? For accepting them as our ally? Should we consider more about them? But we knew them for long time already. It’s not only one or two years we know each other. It had been years. Do you think they will stab us from the back?_  
  
His new thought made him turned over and walked and paced around the the rest room.  
  
_Please, run, please._  
  
He closed his eyes and slumped down to the floor. He kept silence for who knows how long until a soft tap woke him. He opened his eyes and saw Hikaru was staring at him in worried.  
  
“It kept ringing in my head and doesn’t stop.” He almost mumbled to himself when he told him. He pulled his hair desperately.  
  
Hikaru’s eyes widened. He knew what it meant.  
  
“Stay here.”  
  
He walked out of the room and few times later came back with Yabu and Yamada.  
  
“Since when?” Yabu knelt down in front of him, pulled Takaki’s hand to stop pulling his hair.  
  
Takaki sighed. “Since they came. It’s just one word, _run_ , but then added _please_ and it rang all over my head all the time. The more longer I stay still in one place, she kept telling me to run.”  
  
“It means they’re not clean. I don’t know who but the one who shot Yuri must be one of them. Or maybe even all of them are trying to frame us."  
  
Yabu looked intently to Yamada.  
  
“Hey, I’m just trying to be realistic. So far we know Takaki’s Mom was always right when she gave those signs. They might be our ally but now who knows.”  
  
Yabu sighed heavily realizing that what he said was right. He turned to Takaki again. “Could you explain me in detail about the voice? Perhaps it’s not them. I mean, there are so many people in this building. It could be someone else who keep watching us without our knowing.”  
  
Takaki started to pull his hair again, which stopped right away by Yabu gripping it tightly.  
  
“It rings since they came.”  
  
“Is it still ringing now?”  
  
“Every now and then, yes, but not that rapid like when I join the group.”  
  
The three of them look at each other. Takaki couldn’t even hide his nervousness like he usually tried to.  



	29. Welcome Back

The three of them looked at each other. Takaki couldn’t even hide his nervousness like he usually tried to.   
  
“I knew Arashi well. They’ve been the best group in the organization. I don’t know.”   
  
Yamada almost rolled his eyes as the result. “Yabu, be realistic, please. No one of us really know about them aside of that they’re good at fighting and never failed the assignments. That’s all. We don’t really know them personally.”   
  
“He got the point.” Hikaru bit his thumb.   
  
Takaki frowned and sighed heavily. “Hikaru, stop it. I need you now.”   
  
Hikaru turned to Takaki who was staring at him apologetically.   
  
“Please ... “  
  
Hikaru looked at his thumb, pulled it from his lips and smiled sheepishly. “Okay. I’ll stay awake. Sorry.”   
  
Takaki closed his eyes. “Sorry for my selfishness but I can’t help you if it still ringing. I can’t think about anything else.”   
  
The joker gave him another soft tap on his shoulder. “I said it’s okay. I’ll stay awake. I’ll do my best.”   
  
“Thank you.”   
  
Yabu and Yamada stared at each other. Once again they knew something about the other side of Hikaru. The side they never knew was existed. They looked back to Takaki and had to admit that they still couldn’t believe of what they saw about the said person. They never saw this side of him too, where he looked very uneasy and didn’t even try to suppress it. It was like that he couldn’t handle it. Not too different with Hikaru, Takaki they knew was full of smile in their daily life, and cool in his duty. Some of them even called him cold blooded because he could kill while smiling widely.   
  
“Let’s move Yuri to home, or another place. Please ... “  
  
The three of them looked at each other in silence.   
  
“That’s better than staying here.”   
  
Yabu looked at Yamada who raised his hands to the air, asking for an agreement. He sighed. He knew they didn’t have any choice.   
  
“Okay. Go tell Keito to get the car. Tell Daiki to deal with the administration clerk, and I’ll get Yuri free as soon as I can.”   
  
Yamada had already disappeared even before he could finish his words, made him shook his head in wonder.   
  
“Let’s go back to Yuri’s room.”   
  
Hikaru pulled Takaki to get up from the floor. “I always wonder how could he be that realistic after all of what happened.”   
  
“Who? Yamada? Thank him for always being realistic because at least we have one person to stay awake all the time. I thought I’ll go crazy with everything that happened lately.”   
  
Hikaru took a glance to him and found a slight of sadness in his eyes. He pulled him to stop walking, and made him face him. “What are you hiding from me?”   
  
One question, but it’s enough for Takaki to melt. He looked at Hikaru and suddenly a tear rolled down his face. “I found them. I found the persons behind that shooting incident. I found them but I don’t know what to do?”   
  
Hikaru looked at both direction of the corridor and then pulled Takaki to an empty room near them.   
  
“We knew them?”   
  
There’s no voice came out of Takaki but a nod was enough for Hikaru to understand the twisting feeling he felt. He sat down the floor beside him and face palmed his face. He didn’t know what to ask and his mind was suddenly blank.   
  
“What should I do?”   
  
He almost mumbled the question but it’s loud enough for Hikaru to hear it.   
  
“Did you tell Yamada?”   
  
Takaki shook his head weakly. “I told him to stop searching about them.”   
  
_You don’t want to hurt anyone, which mean, those persons are very close to us._   
  
Hikaru sighed heavily. It would be useless for him to do anything now because Takaki would be just crying and crying all the time so he decided to stand up. He pulled him hard.   
  
“Come on, let’s talk about this later. We have to get Yuri out of here as soon as we can.”   
  
Like a child, Takaki wiped his tears with the back of his hand before following Hikaru walked out of the room.   
  
_OK. Think, Hikaru. What should you do? He can’t hold his tears so those persons must be very close to us. Are they inside the house? According to his will to move Yuri out of the hospital and the possibility of moving him out of the house means that those persons knew where we lived until today. Who are they?_  
  
_Are they among the staffs? If so, his tears are reasonable. The persons who work for him for years, the persons he knew since he was in diaper, betrayed him. But, it’s impossible because he doesn’t look bothered at all when he was among them. I don’t even see any awkward feeling from him. He doesn’t look tensed at all. He looks calm and very comfortable with their present. So, scratch all the staffs of the house._  
  
_So, who?_  
  
_Daiki’s father? We know that he is an asshole, but I’m not sure that he is the one._  
  
_Ok. Perhaps he was there, behind the shooting, but I don’t think that he is the one who did it. Yuya won’t shed his tears if that asshole was the one who did it._  
  
Suddenly he stopped. He stunned for a while and blinked many times. He smiled and shook his head.   
  
_No way. That person couldn’t be the one._  
  
“Ah, they’re not here anymore. They’re gone?”   
  
Hikaru looked up and he realized that they had entered Yuri’s room where Ryutaro and Inoo were sitting on the couch.   
  
“Yeah, few minutes ago. Anything wrong?”   
  
“The voice. It came back.” Hikaru walked to the other side of the bed and checked all the vital signs of the wounded boy before smiling to him who was staring at him intently. “We will move you out soon.” He patted his arm gently.   
  
Ryutaro turned to Takaki and gave an apologetic look. He squeezed his arm when the older sat by the bed. “Is it still ringing?”   
  
“No. It stops completely now.”   
  
Everyone in the room looked at each other. There’s something in their head. Something about their senior that they didn’t like to think about.   
  
“Where’s Yuto?”   
  
“He’s tailing Keito to get the car.”   
  
Inoo turned when he felt nudged on his side and found Yabu was staring on him intently. He followed the older walked out of the room and went a little far for Yuri’s room.   
  
“Have you found the caller?”   
  
“I did. It came from a public telephone near the police station. I can’t trace more than that. I’m sorry.”   
  
Yabu sighed. “I believe he called us right after Yuri got shot. But who? It must be one of us because he knew my private number.”   
  
“Yeah. I thought so. But once again, who? There are so many of us. Kinki Kids, Arashi, News, ABC-Z, Sexy Zone, Tokio, V6, Kat-tun, and I can’t remember how many additional soldiers in temporary units that are available in the troop.”   
  
“You don’t mention the uppers. They knew our numbers too.”   
  
Inoo and Yabu turned to meet with the serious expression of Hikaru who was holding a cup of coffee. They took a glance to each other for a second before paid their attention back to him.   
  
_Thank God you’re back to normal when something serious hit us._  
  
Inoo leaned on the wall while staring at him intently, waiting for his words.   
  
“They’re the one who have a grudge against us so I guess it would be wise if you put them on the top of our list.”   
  
“Which means, again, it isn’t safe for us to stay much longer in this place. We have to move.”   
  
“Takaki didn’t say anything when we’re in his house.” Yabu stared at Hikaru’s eyes intently. “So I guess we are safe in that house.”   
  
“But the possibility of us going out from the house is bigger now because we can’t stay still in the house without doing anything. We knew that we’re being targeted and trust me, no one of us like being targeted. Seven years is not a short time to know you, guys. You will move out of the house more often when you know that you’re being targeted.” He snickered.   
  
_Mostly because Yuya found his enemies. He knows them and he needs to get away as far as possible. His house is the safest place for us but not for him with his founding. He might burst out of everything he found if he stays still in the house. Yamada isn’t the person who can stay silent all the time when he had smelt something. He had smelt something from Yuya and I believe that he will find the same thing what Yuya had found. Things will go messy if Yamada starts to search._  
  
He sipped his coffee and looked outside the glass window.   
  
“Beside, you don’t want to be rotted inside that house, do you? For me, it is better to get out of the house when we still have the choice.”   
  
“The choice of what? Running away? All the time?”   
  
Hikaru turned to Inoo and stared at him intently. “Yes. I will run all my life if I need to.”   
  
“Isn’t better for us to fight than running away?”   
  
“You don’t even know whom you fight with. We have the clue but it’s only a clue, and always only a clue. We can’t reach them because every time we reach more than a clue, then suddenly there is a thick huge wall stood up in front of us. We’re stuck here, and don’t know what to do! We have nowhere to go!”   
  
“There, you said it! All we have to do is fighting to destroy that thick and huge wall, Hikaru! You can’t run because every time you do that you will always hit the wall. You’re exactly right. We have nowhere to go. We have to break the wall!”   
  
“Could you please low down your voice? We’re still in the hospital if you don’t remember.”   
  
Both of them turned to the oldest who was pressing the bridge of his nose in silent. For a while, they blinked without words before smiling to each other.   
  
“You look stupid with those smiles so stop smiling each other and back to the track. Both of you.” Yabu sighed heavily. “We really have to think carefully about we’re going to do now. Honestly, I feel like we’re avoiding shadows since the blow of our house while those shadows were always a step behind us. No matter how careful we hide, those shadows had always found us. They didn’t do anything but I feel like we’re being watched. It was like they’re waiting for the right time to attack. I don’t know. Everyone looks suspicious lately. Even everyone in the house.”   
  
“That’s why Yuya gave us the choice to move Yuri out of the house.”   
  
Inoo smirked and walked to Hikaru.   
  
_Welcome back, Hikaru. You always know how to make us think clearly. In your own way._  
  
“So, what do you think we should do? As Yabu said that everyone looks suspicious lately. Actually I feel like everyone looks suspicious since the very beginning.”   
  
“I vote for Yuya’s decision.” Hikaru raised his right hand in the air.   
  
Yabu and Inoo looked at the joker intently and found seriousness in his eyes.   
  
“Right.” Yabu sighed again. “His instinct works better than us in this kind of situation. Where is he now?”   
  
“With Yuri, talking about something related to Angel, Fate, and Death. You know, they had the same experience, almost die. Maybe they’re sharing their trip to the other world. Who knows?” Hikaru shrugged and walked away.   
  
Both Yabu and Inoo looked at his back until he disappeared in the corner in silence.   
  
“At least we have him back in the right time.” Inoo turned to Yabu and smiled. “Of course, because if he doesn’t come back to us now I will bang his head to the wall so he can wake up. I don’t care even if Takaki will kill me for doing that. I just want him to be back to us now, when everything got out of our hand. We need everyone now, to strengthen our power to fight back for whatever thread that is coming to us. With Yuri wounded, I don’t think he can do much even to defend himself, and I don’t need any scumbag among us. I need his brain. We need his ideas.”   
  
Yabu took a little glance to his best friend and sighed.   
  
_You are actually scary, Kei. I guess you’re the scariest person among us, no one else._  
  
He shook his head. “I still can’t believe that one of the Arashi was the suspect.”   
  
“You can’t make any conclusion now when we don’t have anything to be concluded. Yuri had been shot and we still don’t know who did it. Is it a set up or it’s just a matter of fate where he walked in the wrong place, met with the wrong guy, in the wrong time. Let’s just focus on what Takaki told us. We decided to believe on his instinct which we believe that it’s true.”   
  
“It’s always true, Kei. You knew it.”   
  
Inoo smiled. “That’s why I told you not to conclude anything. Forget about your thought about Arashi. Let’s just find Takaki and listen to his plan. Whatever it is.”   
  



	30. The Founding

Silently, he stared blankly to the door in front of him.  
  
_What should I do? Is it alright if I keep silent all the time? They deserve to know, but they don’t need to know at the same time. You made them suffered, yet, I know that you just do it because of the order. You’re just a tool for them. Exactly just like us._  
  
_I don’t mind you stay here but I can’t sleep almost all night since your presence. Those nightmares, since you moved here, they became worse than before._  
  
_What should I do?_  
  
“What are you doing here?”  
  
He didn’t even look to the speaker.  
  
“Yuya, you’ve been standing here for minutes and didn’t move at all. What are you doing here?”  
  
Hikaru looked intently to his best friend and could only blink many times before looked back and forth between him and the door in front of him. His eyes almost bulged when a thought flashed inside his mind. He shook his head in disbelief. “Oh, no.”  
  
Takaki gulped and turned around. He didn’t say anything because he really didn’t like to voice out everything.  
  
_Not now. Hikaru had known enough. He didn’t need to know more._  
  
But a hand grabbed him, made him turned around, and he bulged his eyes when he found Yamada gripped his arm tightly.  
  
“You don’t want to tell me about your founding because it’s Yabu’s mother, right?”  
  
“Yamada ... “  
  
“Say that I’m right.”  
  
Takaki looked away and he tried to release himself from the shorter to no avail. Surprisingly, Yamada was too strong for him now.  
  
“Please. I told you to stop searching, right? Why don’t you just stop?”  
  
“She killed my family, Takaki. She took my family away from me. She shot them, right in front of me. How suppose am I stopping searching about the shooter? Huh?”  
  
“Yamada, please. I know how your feel. I lost my family too in that incident, but aren’t we promise not to look back and search about that incident? We have promised to each other that we won’t do anything about the killer of our family.”  
  
“It is because Yabu told us to. I wonder if he actually knew something about it so he suggested us to do it. He made us promise not to look back and search about everything related to our background and keep moving forward just to hide the truth that he knew that his mother was the one who killed our family.”  
  
“Guys, please, low down your voice. Anybody could hear you. Isn’t this supposed to be just between both of you?”  
  
“Shut up, Hikaru. You’re out of this so get out of here.”  
  
Hikaru raised his hands up to give Yamada a sign that he wasn’t offending him but he didn’t walk away. He stayed because he knew Takaki wouldn’t last long before crying again today. Not after Yamada attacked him with the fact that he found out what he knew.  
  
“Please, Yamada. Can’t we just forget about this? Everybody will be hurt if you tried to prove it.”  
  
“What?” Yamada looked intently to Takaki who was avoiding his stares. He moved forward to the taller and grabbed his arms once again. “Don’t tell me that our family isn’t the only one. Who else? Did she murder the others too? Hikaru’s parents?”  
  
“Hey, hey, hey!”  
  
“Chinen’s family, Ryutaro and Yuto’s house explosion? What? Tell me!”  
  
“Yamada, please ...”  
  
“I will keep nagging you if you don’t spill it!”  
  
“Please ... “  
  
“Yamada, please. Stop it. We’re inside the house and anyone could walk passing by and hear everything.”  
  
“I don’t care! Just tell me or I will go inside the room to interrogate her with everything I need to make her confess.”  
  
“No! No, no, no, please no. Please ...”  
  
“Then say. You have to tell me about everything even the scratches. I’m tired to be keeping in the dark. I need to know now!”  
  
Takaki stared at the younger with tears hanging in his eyes. He pleaded him silently. “Should you do the searching? Haven’t I told you to not searching about anything?”  
  
“I deserve to know.” Yamada hissed sharply.  
  
Takaki looked down and a tear rolled over his cheek. He wiped it and took a deep breath. “She wasn’t the one who exploded Ryutaro and Yuto’s house. And also the Chinen’s arson. It’s Daiki’s father, but she knew. She knew the entire plan. She was there when they planned to kill all of our parents.”  
  
“All the member of our family to be exact.”  
  
“The plan was just to kill the adults and not to touch the kids.”  
  
“But they did it in the process. There’s no different now because they have done it.”  
  
“Keito’s father found it but couldn’t do anything. They threatened him to keep silence. One word meant Keito would be killed together with us, all the kids in the house. They drugged him and finally decided to make him suffered from Alzheimer.”  
  
“Wait!” Hikaru interrupted him. He grabbed Yuya’s arm and dragged him to his room. “When you said all of our parents, it means all of our parents?”  
  
Yamada closed the door behind him. “He said it clearly, Hikaru. All of our parents, which means, your parents is included here.”  
  
Hikaru suddenly felt all the walls around him narrowed abruptly and made him lost his weight so sudden. He tried to find a hold when Takaki hurriedly held him and helped him to sit in the near chair.  
  
“Since when you found this?” his voice almost hitched in his throat.  
  
Takaki gulped once again but didn’t say anything. He kept silence for a moment.  
  
Hikaru closed his eyes and tend to do it longer. He didn’t want to hear it more than that but he needed to. He needed to know everything now because he was involved in the story. His family was one of the victims of those cleaning.  
  
“Yuya, please. I never ask you to tell me about your family, what happened to them, why, how, or anything related to that shooting incident, but I have to know now because it related to mine. Please. I know your ability to search about something, it’s incredible as always, but I need to confirm about your source. It doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in you. It’s just ..., you know, everything is blurry lately since the attack. I still can’t digest why we should be attacked? What have we done? Nothing. We’re just a bunch of soldier who earned money from the order we get. We did what they said, but now? There’s an indication that the uppers don’t satisfied with our work and suddenly wanted to erase us. If, the one who order to attack us is really our own boss.”  
  
“I know.” Takaki mumbled the words slowly. He got up and walked to the window.  
  
“Then tell me everything. Every scratch.”  
  
Takaki closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “It started a year ago when I had to go to the asylum with Yabu to meet with professor Munakata. That psycho case?” He reached for the curtain and gripped in hard. “I met her. She looked at me as if she was seeing a ghost. I was curious and searched about her and found something interesting about her background.”  
  
There’s a pregnant time when Takaki didn’t continue his story.  
  
“What?” Yamada impatiently demanded him to continue. He tapped his arm with his fingers in a steady rhythm.  
  
“There’s nothing. I found nothing in her file. She was nobody. No name, no address, nothing.”  
  
“Which means, she was one of us.”  
  
Takaki gritted his teeth hard.  
  
“I tried to dig more and after a half of a year I found a clue which led me to another clues that surprising me.”  
  
“You found out that it’s Yabu’s mother.”  
  
“Yes. It’s almost when you found your parent’s grave.”  
  
_That’s why you look down that time, but at the same time you look stronger than before. You found the killer of your family and got readied yourself to take revenge just to be stopped because it’s your friends’ mother._  
  
_That’s why you could stay awake in that amusement park._  
  
_It’s not just because of Yamada’s presence, the person who shared the same memory with you, but also because finally you found out the truth. The one who pulled the trigger to shot your family._  
  
_Too bad because it’s your friend’s mother, so you’re confused about what you are going to do so you keep silence all this time. Once you say something about it, even if you just want to confirm it to Yabu, everybody else in the house will know and they will start to search about it too and everything will become a mess. There’s no way they will keep silence if they found out about the truth. For Yabu’s unlucky, he was the one who suggest us to not look back to our past. He said that we should keep moving forward and made us promise not to take any revenge about our past. From anywhere I see, Yabu is in difficult position._  
  
Out of their sight, outside the door, Yabu greeted his teeth. His hands clenched. Something inside him was stabbed many times until he couldn’t hold it. He fell down on his knees and his body shook hard. He blinked many times, tried hard to prevent his tears from falling down, but they betrayed him when a warm hug pulled him to a warm embrace.  
  
“Tell me that I hear it wrong.” He whispered slowly. Almost mumbled.  
  
Inoo didn’t say anything because he knew Takaki had been searching for years about the truth. He knew that he had found something, and he felt something was changing after the founding. The young man became a silent, and tend to stay alone than grooving out with the other in their day off. He chose to stay in his room when the others were gathering around. He believed that he had the lead to the shooter but he had never expected that the fact was too hard to be accepted.  
  
“There’s no way my mother did it, right?”  
  
He almost chocked with his own breath.  
  
“Everybody in the Asylum said she has a warm hand. There’s no way she killed people with those hands. There’s no way a person who has those kinds of hands killed others, right?”  
  
Inoo smiled bitterly. He sat down the floor beside Yabu and combed his hair with his fingers.  
  
“Isn’t it better if you ask her?”  
  
Yabu stunned. He slowly turned to Inoo who was now smiling to him.  
  
“Trust me, whatever the answer is, it is better if you hear it straight from the person. I’m here, waiting for you, and will always be here no matter the truth you’ll receive. I won’t go anywhere even if what we’ve heard just now is true.”  
  
Yabu blinked his eyes many times in silent.  
  
“Look. I don’t care even if it’s true. You didn’t do it. That’s the most important thing to me. I believe Takaki is thinking the same thing. That’s why he kept silent this long.”  
  
_Right. I better ask her on my own._  
  
Gathering all of his courage, he stood up. While hoping that he would receive a negative answer, he walked to a certain room and opened it after debating for a while with his self.  
  
The woman was sitting silently in front of the large window, like she always did every day. He moved forward and reached for her hands.  
  
“Mom. I’m going to ask you an important question and I need you to answer me honestly, okay. You don’t need to say anything like always, but I need to know whether I’m wrong or right. I know you understand in everything I’ve said to you so please, give me a sign.”  
  
The woman didn’t react. She was still staring at the blue sky outside the window silently.  
  
“I’ve heard something today. Something I really don’t want to hear about you.”  
  
Yabu stopped for a while to take a deep breath.  
  
“Do you know something about the shooting incident which killed Yamada and Takaki’s parents?”  
  
The woman stunned slightly, but it’s enough for Yabu to know everything. He released her hand and stepped back. He bit his lower lip and shook his head weakly.  
  
“Tell me that it’s not true.”  
  
The woman didn’t say anything. She was still trying to focus to the blue sky through a large glass window in front of her.  
  
“Mom ..., please.”  
  
She looked to her son and tears rolled down her cheek. She stared at him apologetically. She bit her lower lip to prevent herself from sobbing. “I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I’m really sorry.”  
  
Yabu greeted his teeth hard. He closed his eyes and stepped back. His heart broke into pieces. He didn’t know what to do.  
  
“Kou ... “  
  
He looked away when tears rolled down his face.  
  
“Why? Weren’t they your friends? The persons you consider as best friends. Why?”  
  
“It’s an order. You knew the drill.”  
  
“You can avoid it. You always could deny the order if you don’t want to do it. You always had another choice. They’re your friends. Your best friends and you killed them? With your own hand?”  
  
“Kou, I needed to, or else they will kill you. I don’t want to lose you. You mean everything to me.”  
  
“It doesn’t mean that you have to kill their parents.”  
  
“Kou … “  
  
Yabu shook his head and turned around. He didn’t say anything and walked out of the room. The world had collapsed. He held the wall to give him strength. He hobbled hard while dragging himself to stay away from her mother’s room.  
  
_Let’s move Yuri to home, or another place. Please …_  
  
_That’s why Yuya gave us the choice to move Yuri out of the house._  
  
_So, what do you think we should do? As Yabu said that everyone looks suspicious lately. Actually I feel like everyone looks suspicious since the very beginning._  
  
Every word from his friends made sense now to him. They smelt something but didn’t want to hurt him. He stopped at the end of the corridor and opened the door to the balcony. His hands trembled hard when he gripped the rail of the balcony. He sobbed in silent. His heart was hurt. His mind stopped working. His body slumped to the floor and he surrendered.  
  
“Kou ...”  
  
“Leave me alone.”  
  
Inoo didn’t say anything but kept walking closer to him. He took a seat beside him without any word.  
  
Yabu closed his eyes. Guilty feeling suddenly filled his heart. “I’m sorry.”  
  
It’s just a whisper but it’s clear enough for Inoo to hear it. He smiled.  
  
“For what?”  
  
Yabu greeted his teeth. “Everything.”  
  



	31. A Little Intermezzo

They stopped their steps when they saw the youngest of them was leaning by the wall outside the house and automatically blocked their way. He was casually typing something on his PDA.   
  
“Going somewhere, guys?”   
  
They looked at each other in silence before Hikaru decided to move forward.   
  
“What are you doing here, Ryu. You do know that someone has lurking somewhere around here and spying on this house lately. Somebody will see you here and you will make all the members of the house in danger as the result.”   
  
“The danger is already in the house. She’s been staying here since last week.” He put down his PDA and stared intently to Takaki, made him gulped once and realized that the youngest had found out what he had.   
  
“Ryu ...,”   
  
“It’s your fault for talking about it in the house. Do you forget that your house has a very long and wide balcony that connected directly around the house? Someone else might hear you too last night, not only me. Didn’t you realize that?”   
  
“What? We ... “  
  
“Don’t worry. It’s only me, and I want to join you wherever you’re going today because I don’t think I can face them without saying something about what I heard last night when I meet them today.”   
  
The three of them looked at each other once again and they started to walk again when Yamada shrugged as the answer.   
  
“Where are you going?”   
  
“Somewhere. We’re boring of staying here all day.”   
  
Ryutaro looked at the backside of Yamada in silent. He saw the twisting feeling inside him through his back. It looked lonely and almost slumped.   
  
“Yamada, if you want to cry ...”   
  
“Shut up.”   
  
Ryutaro looked to his side when he felt a hand tapped his back gently and found Takaki was shaking his head weakly. He breathed heavily and inserting his hands to his jacket pocket. He knew the feeling. It was very annoying. He couldn’t even sleep last night after he heard about the truth. His eyes refused to shut. They wide opened all night and before he realized it, morning had come again. He was fighting all night what about what he should do next but found nothing came to his mind. He wanted to take revenge but a half of his heart fought him not to. It’s Yabu’s mother after all, the person he had believed for the last seven years, the person he leaned on, the person who always there for him no matter what happen.   
  
He smiled bitterly and shook his head.   
  
_Yabu will kill himself if he heard what I’ve heard last night._  
  
He stopped abruptly when Takaki, who walked in front of him suddenly stopped. He looked forward and saw nothing than the emptiness of an alley. He suddenly alerted when Yamada walk again but faster than before. They almost ran along the way until a door opened and hid them from everything they wanted to hide.   
  
“What took you so long?”   
  
A girl welcomed them behind the door with a sharp question.   
  
“Someone had been tailing us since we got out of the house so we have to go around for a while.”   
  
Takaki threw himself to the couch followed by Ryutaro.   
  
“Really, guys. They found you. Why don’t you move out of the house? We knew that Murayama will do anything to protect you, but please, you know too that once those people move even Murayama can’t do anything about it. Even your hand will full once they decide to attack.”   
  
Nobody retorted her because they know it’s true. They just looked at each other in silence.   
  
“Why don’t you move here? Mom and Dad wouldn’t mind. You saved my life once and I guess they will welcome you with a very wide opened door.”   
  
Takaki groaned. “You know that it’s not wise to involve your parents in this complicated situation, Yui.”   
  
“It’s just a suggestion?”   
  
“Come on. It’s not a wise suggestion. You will throw yourself into unending trouble when they found out that you have anything related to us. Better silence if you don’t have any good idea.”   
  
Yui glared at Yamada in an instant time. “Oh, I will be silence if a stupid person like you doesn’t involve with this stupid situation.”   
  
“What?”   
  
“As you told me, better silence if you don’t have any good idea. You came along with Yuu here because you’re stuck. You can’t think anything to help your team to get out of your current situation. Your brain stopped working that’s why you tail him all the way here. Just say that you have nothing in your mind right now. You feel helpless because you can’t do anything to help your team. Just admit it, Yamada Ryosuke. Don’t act tough all the time. It made you look weak in front of me.”   
  
Yamada didn’t say anything but glared at her.   
  
“What? Are you going to kill me? Do you think I’m afraid of you? Shorty? I was just saying the truth about you.”   
  
“What the ... “  
  
“Stop it you two.”   
  
Everyone in the room tried hard to hold their smile hearing the short bickering.   
  
“Why don’t you let them, Takaki. This is the first time I see this cool man,” Ryutaro pointed at Yamada, “meet his equal enemy. I vote for you, Yui. Come on, get him down.”   
  
A whack landed on his head right after he finished his words and a glare darted sharply to him from Yamada, yet, he was still smiling for Yui who mouthed a thank you silently.   
  
“Are you okay, Yui? I mean, there’s nothing suspicious happened to you lately? After all of those thread before?” Hikaru asked her with a serious expression draw all over his face, made the girl smiled instantly.   
  
“I’m fine, thank you for asking. I mean I’m totally fine. There’s something suspicious around, but hey, this is the life I chose. Dad said that I should be ready once I reached my twenty because everything will look suspicious around me, and I guess he’s right. But once again, I’m totally fine. I will come to you again if there’s something very urgent that I can’t handle it.”   
  
“He guided you to the right direction I guess. He’s not just spoiling you but also got you readied to accept every consequence you will receive of being a daughter of a president of a big company.”   
  
Yui turned to Yamada with smile plastered in his face. “I don’t know that you can say something good like that. I will tell my dad that you just gave him a compliment.”   
  
“Ah, don’t forget to introduce him to your father, Yui. Maybe he could include him in the list of your future husband.” Ryutaro smiled widely as he said it.   
  
Yui faked her shock. “You’re right. That’s a good idea.”   
  
“Shut up!”   
  
“Isn’t that a good idea, Yamada? At least you will have a stable life lies in front of you. You can’t live this life of ours forever.”   
  
“Ryu, don’t start, please ... “ Takaki face palmed himself and kept silence for a while.   
  
“Any problem with our lifestyle, Ryu?”   
  
“No problem at all. I love my life, whatever it is. It’s just, I myself will be glad if finally one of us decided to leave this kind of life.”   
  
“Ryu, please … “ Takaki threw him a pleading look in a serious manner.   
  
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”   
  
Takaki breathed heavily, relieved that the youngest finally stopped talking.   
  
“Everything will be okay, Yuu. Don’t worry. I believe Yabu doesn’t know anything about what his mother did to others. He’s clean.”   
  
“I know.” He stood up and started to walk around the room. “I saw the hurt in Yabu’s eyes yesterday. He didn’t say anything through dinner too. It looked he was forced to have dinner too, I believe Inoo did it so nobody wouldn’t suspicious.”   
  
“Yesterday? Perhaps he heard you? Like I did?” Ryutaro raised his eyebrows.   
  
Takaki, Hikaru, and Yamada looked at each other before looked away to avoid others accusation.   
  
“I’ve told you.” Hikaru groaned weakly.   
  
Takaki once again face palmed himself. He didn’t know what to do. His mind was suddenly blank. He breathed heavily many times with Yui tapped his back to sooth him. “We shouldn’t talk about it in the house.”   
  
“It was done. All we can do is fixing the damage.” Yamada breathed heavily and combed his hair desperately.   
  
“The problem is, what will the others do after this? What if they decide to take the revenge? Who knows what will they do to her to pay everything she did to their parents.”   
  
“Family, Takaki. It’s not just their parents but also their family.” Yamada retorted him again.   
  
Takaki looked at the younger and could only sigh when he knew that he was right. He shook his head. “Yabu will be hurt more. He will kill himself if he found out that his mother died of the revenge, let’s believe that they will do it when they found about it. He’s been searching for her all his life. He must be very down now. He is actually that weak.”   
  
“You’re too worried about him. Why don’t you just go back to the house and see what others’ thinking about this.”   
  
“I don’t think I can face them now.” Takaki threw himself to the couch. He closed his eyes and opened them again when he felt warm hands enveloped his. Yui was gripping him in his hands and smiled.   
  
“Why don’t you believe them? You’ve been living together for seven years. You should know that they won’t do anything stupid that will hurt one of you. They will think everything thousand times if they want to do something, if that thing concerned one of you, especially when they know that they will hurt one of you.”   
  
“Talking is easy, isn’t it?” Yamada threw her a cynical glare and shook his head. “This is about the killing of their parents. The only one thing they kept inside them is seeking for the killer and taking revenge. Knowing the killer is sitting in front of you freely isn’t the easiest thing you can handle. Deep inside them they want to take the revenge. Trust me, a human being is the most scariest thing in the world. You don’t know what they’re thinking until they do something to you.”   
  
“And you are one of those scariest things in the world, Yamada Ryosuke, because you don’t have empathy for others. You think everything logically and always try to put aside everything you consider as a melancholy because you don’t need one.”   
  
“Because you will see everything clearly if you decide to think logically. Put aside your stupid feeling and you will see through. It will be clear for you to see that something is right or wrong if you use your logic.”   
  
Hikaru, Takaki, and Ryutaro rolled their eyes for the bickering.   
  
“Can I knock him down so we can revive him with putting a feeling inside his heart?” Yui stared at her brother with blinking her eyes frantically, almost made Ryutaro burst his laugh loudly. “I’m begging you? With the word ‘please’ in the end of it?”   
  
Yamada fisted his hands to hold himself from bursting his anger.   
  
But, was he really angry with her?   
  
He turned around and walked to the large window to hide his slight smile. Inside him he felt the warmth of the bickering. He enjoyed it and that’s why he always insisted to come with Takaki every time the older went outside to meet her. There’s somewhere inside him that wanted to always meet her because she was the only one who could stand to argue with him in a long time without provoked him to harm her. He would only feel the anger was burning inside him, yet, he felt the comfort of the fight. So he didn’t care even if it’s only just to mock to each other, he always stick like a glue to Takaki if the older every time he decided to meet her.   
  
He sighed heavily and all the pictures when the girl came to their house for the first time came to his mind. The very silent girl that threw him a suspicious stare, the one that always ignored his warning about the bad guys who was trying to kill her, his jealousy when the girl was always took a glance at Takaki and asked him so many question about him that finally he found out because she realized that the older was her lost big brother.   
  
“Hey, they won’t do anything stupid like that. They’re smart so far I know that’s why you could stand on everything, safe and sound until today. Right?”   
  
Takaki didn’t respond. He knew she was right but in the other hand, if someone decided on taking revenge for the lost of a family, they couldn’t be blamed too.   
  
“Come on, they will think twice or more if finally they will hurt someone close to them. Yabu’s been with you for seven years, and it’s not a short time. They will consider his feeling if they decide to do something on his mother.”   
  
“As Yamada said, talking is easy.”   
  
“They did it with Daiki. That’s the real prove. They let Daiki’s father got away just like that. You once said to me too that what had happened, it happened. There’s nothing we can do to change it. Whatever you do, you will only leave another scar in your life. Just keep move on and never turn back. I did what you told me and I feel free.”   
  
“Will they let Yabu’s mother got away like Daiki’s father? The problem is, Yabu’s mother is living one roof with them now.”   
  
“If I am Yabu, I will take her away from you.”   
  
The four of them looked at her at once. They suddenly got up and hurriedly got out of the house leaving Yui shook her head for their slow thinking.   
  
“If Yabu leaves the house, he will be alone. And it will be very dangerous for him to stay alone out there. We still don’t know who is targeting us. We can’t let him stay alone out there.”   
  
“Shut up, Ryu.” The rest of the three cut him almost in one time and made him rolled his eyes as the result.   
  
They almost run from the gate to the front door and they were truly running when they reached the stairs.   
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what’s up, guys?”   
  
“Daiki!” Panting, Hikaru gripped Daiki’s arm. “Do you see Yabu? Where’s he?”   
  
“He’s out after receiving a phone call about two hours ago.”   
  
“What? Where?”   
  
“I don’t know. He didn’t say anything even when Inoo asked him. He was spacing out all the time since morning. Dou you know what is happening to him? He looks different today. No. He looked different since last night.”   
  
“Where’s Inoo?”   
  
“I didn’t see him too. I don’t know. Those two are different today. Something might be happening and I’m all curious about it now. Would you guys tell me what is happening?”   
  
“There’s nothing happening.” Yamada cut the others before they could say anything, made Daiki turned to him with his eyebrows raised in curiosity.   
  
“Are you sure because you look …, uneasy. What’s up guys? Is there something happened to Yabu?”   
  
“I told you there’s nothing happened to Yabu.”   
  
Daiki pouted at the harsh comment from Yamada but couldn’t do anything. He just looked at them silently.   
  
_I will find what you’re hiding, guys. Don’t think that I will stay silent with this. I will surely find it._  
  
He looked at their back once again before turning away, just to receive an apologetic glare from Keito.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Don’t. Please.”   
  
“What don’t?”   
  
“Just don’t do anything you have in your mind right now. Please, I beg you. Those four guys are trying to protect you from something so please just stay away and don’t do anything.”   
  
Daiki narrowed his eyes and tiptoed in front of Keito so he could reach his level. “You knew something?”   
  
“Yes, I do, but I will not tell you about it. Just please, stay back and wait for them to find Yabu first. I’m sure they will explain you everything when they’re ready.”   
  
Daiki blinked his eyes many times with no words coming out of his mouth. “Okay.” He finally nodded after many times.   
  
Keito smiled and turned back to walk away.   
  
“Keito ...”   
  
He stopped and looked back to him.   
  
“Is this about my father?”   
  
Keito took a deep breath and smiled again. “Maybe. Who knows? Just stay back, okay. Trust them. They won’t do anything to harm you.”   
  
Out of their sight, Yuto rubbed his neck while staring intently to Keito’s back who was walking downstairs.   
  



	32. Because We're Brothers

He looked away to the blooming flowers to avert himself from too much thinking, but he couldn’t stop thinking about everything. His mind was full of the truth he heard last night and he couldn’t avoid of thinking about what he should do next. Too much plans made him stayed awake all night.   
  
_What should I do?_  
  
There’s only one question appeared in his mind but too many choice of answers confused him. He loved his friends. They became his family for years. They had shared happiness and sorrow together. There’s almost no secret between them. They shared everything, and he didn’t want to hurt them.   
  
But, his mother was the one at the other side. He loved her too, of course. He’d been searching for her all his life. Now he had found her and there’s no way he would give her to be killed.   
  
He knew she was wrong. She made mistakes that couldn’t be called as small mistake. It’s not just because she had killed his friends’ parents, but because they were her best friends too.   
  
_Why should she kill them? What were you doing, Mom? What did you do to earn your life? Were you a sniper? If so, whom you work for? Who paid you? Was the payment big enough for you to betray your friends? Did you really need that money so you took the assignment lightly?_  
  
He sighed heavily and looked around to meet with a slender figure that walked casually to his direction. The figure leaned to a pole next to him and stared at him intently. He didn’t need to look back because he could feel his stare was darted sharply to him.   
  
The figure breathed heavily.   
  
“Come with me, please. I guarantee the safety of your mother if you come with me. Trust me, Kou, because I am the only one you can trust now.”   
  
Yabu didn’t say a word but threw him a silent question on how can he trust him, about how he can trust anybody else in the world now. Too many secrets revealed in one time and he couldn’t imagine how many more it would come.   
  
“Let’s face this together. I know how weak you are. I believe you don’t decide anything yet. You’re confused because you’re stuck between your friends and your mother.”   
  
“They’re not just friends for me. They’re my family.”   
  
“I am your family.”   
  
“My family won’t leave me alone in the orphanage where I should do everything on my own, in my sixth of age. I was too young when you left, Jin.”   
  
“I’ve told you I don’t have any choice. You know the drill. Once you decide to join the force you can’t contact anybody you knew.”   
  
“You always had the choice, but still you chose to leave me.”   
  
“I’ve said I’m sorry, okay. What should I do to make you forgive me?”   
  
“Tell me everything about yourself. I want you to be honest with me. I want to know about you. Every little thing you do.”   
  
Jin stared straight to Yabu’s eyes and found seriousness on those eyes.   
  
“There’s nothing I should tell you. I am a soldier. So you are. You know how we work.”   
  
“But we’re different, Jin.” Yabu looked to the sky. “We choose the order. If we think the assignment is suspicious then we drop it. You don’t.” He looked straight to Jin’s eyes, made the older blinked nervously many times.   
  
“Come on, Kou. Let’s drop this. Let me do my work and you do your part. All I care now is to save your mother from their revenge. You have to get her out of the house no matter what. It’s just a matter of time for them all to find out what she did in the past.”   
  
“So you know what my mother did in the past? How?”   
  
Jin looked at Yabu and suddenly realized that he just said something suspicious for the younger. He breathed heavily and cursed lightly under his breath for his stupidity.   
  
“I’ve read the file. Your mother is one of ours. She was a sniper. One of the best.”   
  
_So it’s true._  
  
“She got the order, okay, so it wasn’t her false if she killed those people. Every order had the reason, so I believe that those people she killed had done something and that thing made them appeared on the list of who should be eliminated.”   
  
“So she was one of yours, not ours.”   
  
“What’s so different between yours and mine? We’re coming from the same group. Your unit and my unit received the order from the same person.”   
  
“Which unit you’re talking about? You’ve left your unit, Jin, and so far I know you’ve been working alone. Whom you work for?”   
  
Jin looked at him in silent. He gritted his teeth to prevent himself from talking too much again.   
  
“We’re not talking about what we do for living, Kou. We’re talking about saving your mother from revenge. I am your only family left. There’s no one else. You have to trust me now.”   
  
_Then why you put a bug on me that time? If you really want me to trust you then why you want to know about me and my friends? That’s the reason why you put that bug on me, right? You want something from me. What is it, Jin?_  
  
He closed his eyes, tried to find the best answer to reject all the help he could receive from the older. He knew he would do anything he asked. He knew he would do anything he wished. Yet, he felt the doubt crawled to his heart fast.   
  
He opened his eyes and stared at him intently. “I can do this myself.”   
  
“How?”   
  
“Apologize. That’s the best move I can do now. A simple thing but gives a great effect. It’s apologize, Jin. I know they will forgive her if we ask for apologize for everything she did in the past.”   
  
“Don’t be naive! They’re just human beings and this is about their family they’ve been searched all their life! They won’t forgive that easy. They’re just waiting for the right time to attack back, to take revenge, to kill your mother!”   
  
“They let Daiki’s father got away.”   
  
“Do you think if they let Daiki’s father away that easy means they will let him away that easy? Have you ever think that they’re actually waiting for the right moment to take revenge? Have you ever imagined that one day, you arrive home, and find your mother dies in her sleep?”   
  
Yabu stunned for a while. The picture of her unmoved mother suddenly appeared in his mind. He closed his eyes to erase the picture but failed.   
  
_What if he’s right? What if they kill her while I’m away from her? What if they actually silently planned to kill her while she’s sleeping? Mom wouldn’t refuse even if she knew that they will kill her. Mom wouldn’t refuse. She knew she couldn’t. Too much sins she carried and she deserved for the revenge. She will accept it gladly if one of them asks for her life. She will be glad even if one of them asks her to kill herself._  
  
“Please. Your mother is the only parents we have. I found mine but they’re died, so we have to save yours. It’s not only you who was searching for her but I did too. Please, don’t waste my effort for finding her for you. Come with me and she will be saved.”   
  
Yabu looked away and for a while, he was stoned when his eyes met with the sharp stare from a figure that stood behind bushes meters away from his place. It was far but he could feel the stare was sharply piercing into his heart.   
  
_I’m here, waiting for you, and will always be here no matter the truth you’ll receive. I won’t go anywhere even if what we’ve heard just now is true._  
  
He blinked many times in silence. A little faith suddenly slipped to his heart and calmed him down.   
  
_Kei._  
  
He looked to Jin and smiled. “I’m sorry, Jin. I will do this on my own. I appreciate your offer, and I know it’s pure from your heart but I will do this on my own way. Thank you.”   
  
He straightened his body abruptly and walked away as fast as he could to the direction where the figure was watching him intently. The figure was still standing there, behind the bushes, in the end of the park.   
  
“What are you doing here?”   
  
He stepped forward and stood beside him.   
  
“Watching you so you won’t take the wrong decision.”   
  
“Kei, you know that I won’t do anything stupid like anything you’re thinking now, and please don’t tell me what you have in your mind about me right now. I don’t want to hear it. Just tell me what you’re doing here.”   
  
“I’ve told you that I’m watching you. I don’t have anything else to do so I came along when you decided to walk out the house this morning.”   
  
Yabu sighed and started to walk away.   
  
Inoo followed him in silent.   
  
“You have an appointment with your father today, right? Why are you still here?”   
  
“I’ve told you that I’m watching you.”   
  
Yabu chuckled lightly. “You sound like a broken radio to me. Repeat all the words over and over again.”   
  
Inoo didn’t answer. He looked intently to the loneliness back of his best friend and bit his lips.   
  
“Why don’t you tell me, Kou? Was he offering the protection your mother needs?”   
  
Yabu stopped and turned around to meet a sharp stare he couldn’t avoid. He sighed heavily and chuckled lightly, surrendered to the fact that Inoo wouldn’t let him go until he got a satisfying answer.   
  
“You always know where I’m going and what I’m thinking of in just one look.”   
  
“I do. Then I suggest you to stay here and spill everything or I will nag you wherever you’re going since now. Even if you try to run from me, you knew that I will find you easily.”   
  
Once again, Yabu could only let his light chuckle. He admitted that he had something to ask to Inoo but he was too afraid to hear the answer. The question was ringing endlessly in his mind since last night and he had no choice but to ask him straightly.   
  
“I will ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly.”   
  
“Sure.”   
  
“What if ..., I walk out of the house ..., you know ..., because of what my mother did in the past I don’t think I can face them properly.”   
  
“Is our seven years means nothing to you?”   
  
Yabu gulped slightly. He looked away to avoid Inoo’s stare.   
  
“Is our lifetime together means nothing to you too? We’ve been together since forever. So far I remember you’re there. I never ask anything about your parents because I don’t care about all of those bullshits of revenge.”   
  
Yabu looked at him in silence. There’s something in his words that attracted him to ask more but he didn’t dare. He didn’t want to ask because he didn’t want to hear the answer. He was afraid that the answer would be the same thing he thought all night.   
  
Inoo stared at him without blinking and realized what he was thinking of.   
  
“You want to ask about how my mother died, don’t you?”   
  
Yabu stunned and couldn’t move.   
  
“To be honest, I had found out about the way my mother died. That’s what you want to ask me, right? You don’t have to ask then, I will tell you and you don’t have to say a word.”   
  
Once again, Yabu stunned. He was frozen in his place and couldn’t move. His breath steadily turned rapidly until he felt suffocated with his own breath.   
  
“I found it just before Takaki did.”   
  
Yabu gulped. He blinked his eyes many times to erase the worst thought he had.   
  
“It was the same person who killed Takaki’s and Yamada’s parents.”   
  
The blood had spilled. The wound had been made. Yabu closed his eyes. His tears dropped uncontrollably. He felt the world was swirling around him as it would crash into pieces.   
  
_It’s the same person who killed Takaki’s and Yamada’s parents._  
  
The words kept ringing many times in his ears, took away his strength and made him surrender to his boneless body to take over. He slumped to the ground, and the darkness started to take over his mind. It’s dark. Too dark for him to digest everything clearly.   
  
_Come on! Do you think they will forgive her that easy?_  
  
Jin’s voice started to conquer him and made him deaf for Inoo’s present.   
  
_Do you think if they let Daiki’s father away that easy means they will let him away that easy? Have you ever think that they’re actually waiting for the right moment to take revenge? Have you ever imagined that one day, you arrive home, and find your mother dies in her sleep?_  
  
Inoo bended his knees and grabbed Yabu’s shoulder tightly, tried hard to make him stayed sane.   
  
“I don’t care about the revenge. It’s over and I don’t need to take any revenge. And I forbid you to walk out of the house because you don’t have to. I believe that the others are thinking the same thing so don’t conclude everything on your own.”   
  
Yabu hugged himself tightly, almost ignored Inoo’s presence.   
  
“Kou! Stay with me!”   
  
The yell was not too loud but enough for Yabu to be awake from his trance. He opened his eyes widely abruptly and closed them again when he smell the familiar fragrance. He inhaled deeply and his instinct suddenly told him that he was in the right place with the right person.   
  
_Kei._  
  
He slowly hugged Inoo tightly when he got his mind back.   
  
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled weakly.   
  
“What is it for? You didn’t do anything wrong?”   
  
Inoo reached for his shoulders and made him face him.   
  
“Will everything change if I take the revenge? No. I will still not be able to revive my mother and she will still die, so what’s the revenge for? It’s useless, isn’t it? Have you ever thought about that?”   
  
Yabu took a deep breath and breathed away with a little shake in it. “I told them not to do anything with their past. I told them to not thinking about the killer of their parents. I believe that they’re thinking I knew that my mother was the killer so I told them so.”   
  
“I’ve told you to not conclude anything on your own. You won’t know what they’re thinking before you face them, right? So let’s go home. We will solve this problem together. I will not let you to be alone. I will stay beside you no matter what they say.”   
  
Yabu looked down to his shoes and breathed heavily once again. “Thank you.” he mumbled weakly.   
  
“No need to thank me. We’re brothers, aren’t we?”   
  
Yabu looked up to Inoo and he felt his heart melted when the latter beamed him a very wide smile to assure him.   



	33. The Revelation

“He’s not home. Perhaps he’s thinking exactly like what you’ve said. He’s planning to take his mother away from us.”  
  
Yui smiled and tapped his head gently. “The mother is still in the house, right? How can you conclude that he is planning to take his mother away?”  
  
“This is Yabu we’re talking about. He must feel very guilty. He is the one who suggested us not to take any revenge to the person who killed our parents.”  
  
“Correction, our family, Takaki.”  
  
Takaki rolled his eyes to Yamada who was staring intently to him.  
  
“Whatever.”  
  
“So what are you doing here again?”  
  
The four of them suddenly looked at the girl who was raising her hand to the air, waiting for them to answer her.  
  
“Why don’t you try to look for Yabu out there aside of gathering around here for nothing? The longer you let him stay outside alone, the bigger his chance to be provoked to leave the house. Who knows whom he will meet out there.”  
  
“We don’t have any idea where to find him. Beside, Inoo is disappearing too. I believe he is following him right now, and trust me, knowing Inoo, he will force him to go back to the house,” Hikaru took a seat beside Takaki on the couch, tapped his thigh to assure him that everything would be all right, “and there’s not a chance for Yabu to avoid or even refuse him.”  
  
“What about you? Don’t you want to do anything? To the killer of your parents?” Ryutaro nudged the girl who was standing beside him.  
  
“I’m fine. I don’t care about my past. I have my own life now and living in peace. So what’s the use of looking back to the past?”  
  
All of them looked intently to the girl but said no word. Half of their heart agreed her for not looking back to her past because it’s useless, but another part was still questioning about what they should do.  
  
Yui sighed heavily to their response. She walked and stopped right in front of Takaki.  
  
“I said I’m fine because I don’t remember anything about that shooting incident. The only prove that I was there, involved in that incident, is the scar left on my chest. That’s it. There’s nothing about the incident in my memory. But you, the reverse. You have no scar left in your body, but here,“ She pointed at her brother’s chest, “there’s a deep wound and it’s still bleeding even until now. Those nightmares is the prove. You remember every detail of the incident and that made your wound doesn’t heal even until now. That happened to you too, Mr. Tough Guy.” She looked at Yamada intently. “So please, guys, don’t pretend that you’re fine. Just admit that you’re wounded. It’s healthier than always keep it inside you. Sometimes you have to burst it out of you. You will feel free. Forget about all of your ..., stupid sacrifice of yours so your friendship wouldn’t be ruined ...”  
  
“It’s not stupid sacrifice.”  
  
“Oh yes, it is. A friendship should be built in both happiness and sorrow. You can’t laugh in happiness while your friend is suffering in sorrow. So is the reverse. Do you think your friend will happily laughing out when he knows that you are sinking in the mud of sorrow? I don’t think so.”  
  
Both Yamada and Takaki looked at each other, as if they were asking to each other about what were they going to do.  
  
“So, do you suggest us to kill her to take the revenge?”  
  
Yui chuckled lightly. “You take it boldly. That’s not what I mean. At least you have to talk about it. Face her and ask her to admit everything then it’s up to your control of emotion.”  
  
“Besides, she knew everything.”  
  
Everybody turned to Hikaru now.  
  
“She was one of them when they planned to kill our parents. I believe that she knew something about the person who is targeting us.”  
  
“That’s what I mean. She probably did that because of the order from the uppers. She couldn’t do anything because she was just a soldier.”  
  
The boys looked at each other and now Ryutaro was the one who mouthed a thank you to her. Deep inside his heart, he didn’t want them to be apart because of Yabu’s mother’s case. He wanted them to stay close to each other, like they always did. He didn’t like the atmosphere of the house since Yabu’s mother’s arrival. There’s a slight of unspoken tension between them. He believed the others had found out what Takaki had. They just didn’t have the evidence like Takaki.  
  
He took a glance to the older.  
  
_Would you show us those evidences? We deserve to know every detail of your founding, yet, it’s yours, and we don’t have the right to push you to show us._  
  
He breathed heavily and looked away.  
  
_It hurts so much knowing the killer of your family is standing in front of you. How can you handle that feeling? How can you look so calm? How can you hide your anger and look like everything is okay?_  
  
He turned over and darted his stare to the older.  
  
_Or, are you planning on something? Are you going to take the revenge when everyone in the house unguarded so you can do anything you want? What are you really feeling, Takaki? Why I can’t read you? Why you hide your true feeling now? Is there anything you hide beside the truth that Yabu’s mother is one of the killers of our family? Is there anything else? What?_  
  
He gritted his teeth and look away.  
  
_Please. If you’re still hiding something then don’t reveal it now. Too much surprises lately and I don’t think we can handle all of these anymore._  
  
“Yui.”  
  
Ryutaro turned to the older and saw the girl looked at her brother and raised her eyebrows when the older didn’t say anything for a while.  
  
“Don’t you want to meet everybody in the house? They will bulge their eyes if they know that you’re still alive. They will hold a party and make a ruckus for days if they found out that I’m not the only survivor of that shooting incident.”  
  
“No. It’s better for me to not go back to the house.”  
  
Takaki silenced for a while and looked intently to Yui. “Are you okay?”  
  
The girl smiled. “I’m totally fine. I don’t want to go to that house isn’t because I’m afraid or hate that house or the people in it. I have my own life. I have my new life. My parents are good, and I got everything I want and I’m happy. I guess that’s enough for me.”  
  
“Of course you are,” Ryutaro snorted loudly. “You’ve been adopted by the president of a huge company. Sure you’re happy. Imagine what will you feel if you adopted by a plain family. I don’t think that you will feel the same.”  
  
A hard whack landed on his head and he found that Hikaru did it.  
  
“What’s with that?”  
  
“Watch your mouth, kid.”  
  
“If you think money can buy everything, Ryu, then you’re totally wrong. I can’t get my real parents back to me with those money of mine.”  
  
A hurt was voiced out of her voice clearly, made Ryutaro regretted suddenly with his words.  
  
“If I want, I can go back to the Takaki family and got the same amount of money I got from my current family, as much as I can take it. You knew that there’s no difference between my previous life and my current one.”  
  
“Okay, that’s it. Let’s go back to the house and think what we should do next. There’re a lot of things we should think hard, including our next plan about our next move.” Hikaru clapped his hands together and everybody got up from their place.  
  
“Let’s hope that everybody won’t rage with the truth.” Yamada almost mumbled but loud enough for everybody to hear it.  
  
“What do you think? Will they accept the truth or they will deny it?” Ryutaro skipped forward to catch Yamada’s side.  
  
“Keito will still stay calm, I believe, but I don’t think Yuto and Yuri will do the same, especially Yuto.”  
  
Ryutaro pursed his mouth. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s too greedy of finding the truth behind the explosion of his house.” He then took a glance to Takaki just to gulp back his thought when he saw him greeted his jaws while staring at his phone. He turned to Hikaru and found him took a glance every now and then to the older.  
  
_What is it? Are you realizing something, Hikaru? Do you see something in Takaki?_  
  
He closed his mouth tightly until they reached the house and they could only stare to each other when Keito was welcoming them and gave them a sign to follow him.  
  
The atmosphere of the room was eerie. Too eerie when they saw all of the rest of them were spreading around the room. There’s no one talking or even move. They just stood in silent and only looked at them when they arrived.  
  
Keito closed the door behind him and leaned on it. He didn’t even move when Yabu suddenly bowed deeply to them  
  
“My mother was the one who kill your family. I know she doesn’t deserve your forgiveness but I beg you, please, forgive her.”  
  
No one moved.  
  
Everybody stoned in their place.  
  
For some of them, the revelation was like a big explosion. Their eyes wide opened but did and said nothing. They didn’t know what to do. They didn’t know what to say. They had never expected the truth. Yuri looked around and suddenly realized that he was one of the blind. He took a glance to Takaki, then Hikaru. Both of them looked like it wasn’t a surprise. He turned to Yamada and found the same expression. Then he caught the same expression in Ryutaro’s face. His eyebrows furrowed and looked around to find the surprised face of the others. He looked back to Takaki and bit his lower lip.  
  
_What is this? They knew? Since when?_  
  
“Come on, Yabu. You don’t need to do that.” Takaki decided to stop him when he saw no one move. “It’s okay.”  
  
Yabu stayed still. He refused when Takaki tried to pull him up.  
  
Nobody moved. They were still trying to absorb the fact. Ryutaro breathed heavily. He had expected about the situation. He threw himself to the couch.  
  
“I badly want to kill her, I admit it, when the first time I heard about the truth. But then I think it’s useless.I will still can’t get my parents back to me even I kill her may times. They will still die and there’s no use for killing her.” Ryutaro shrugged casually.  
  
A gentle whack landed on his head from behind, made him turned back and made a face when Yamada was grinning mischievously at him.  
  
“What was that for?”  
  
“Don’t act tough. You’re still vomiting when you see or heard any explotion near you.”  
  
“Shut up!”  
  
_So you knew. When? Why didn’t I hear anything? Did Takaki tell you? Why you? Why didn’t he tell me?_  
  
Yuri looked at the older, almost annoyed with the fact that he was included to the oblivious persons.  
  
“Come on. We promised not to do anything to our past, didn’t we?”  
  
“Are you kidding?” Yuto cut him right away. “I’ve been searching for the killer of my parents for years just to be stopped by the fact that it’s Yabu’s mother so I have to gulp back all my anger inside me. Do you think it’s easy?” Yuto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He could feel his heart was going to explode for the anger he suppressed for who knows how long.  
  
“You deserve to get mad but we have the promise not to do anything to our past, Yuto.” Keito tried to calm him but looked failed.  
  
Without uttering any more word, Yuto walked out of the room. He looked displeased. Everybody could see the anger boiled within him.  
  
“Yuto, stay here, please.” Takaki pleaded him weakly. He couldn’t say more than that because he knew his feeling.  
  
The said person didn’t respond. He closed the door behind him with no sound but everybody could read his suppressed anger clearly.  
  
“It’s okay, guys. He deserves to be angry.” Yabu smiled widely to everybody in the room, but he felt his body was suddenly boneless. He lost his strength so sudden. He even couldn’t feel anything anymore. All he knew that Inoo was gripping his fingers tightly. It was the only thing that made him stayed strong.  
  
Vaguely, he saw Yamada and Keito were running out of the room, followed by Hikaru and Yuri who walked limply through the corridor.  
  
“It’s okay, Yabu. Don’t worry. They will do anything to protect your mother.” Takaki bended his knees in front of him and cupped his cheeks to make him faced him straightly in the eyes. “Yabu, you have to stay with us, please. We don’t want to lose you.”  
  
There’s no answer. Yabu said no words and didn’t move either. The only sign showed that he understood what Takaki tried to say was the tears that streamed down his cheeks.  
  
While Yuto, he entered the room and looked at the woman with the burning stare. “If you think I want forgive you that easy than you’re totally wrong.”  
  
The woman beamed him a gentle smile. “I will not ask for forgiveness. I did something awful and I knew from the very start that I don’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness. So I won’t ask for it. You can do everything you want to me. I’m ready.”  
  
Yuto smirked evily and walked forward. He gripped the arms of the chair where the woman sat. “If you think I will let you go with your sincerity, once again you’re wrong. I will not forgive you for everything you did to my family.”  
  
The woman smiled gently. “I’m ready.”  
  



	34. The Spill

“Then spill it.”   
  
The woman stared at him, confusing about what he would do to her.   
  
Yuto turned around and opened the curtain and heavy rain outside was welcoming him.   
  
“You have to tell me everything, every little thing of the plan. Why, how, everything. No secret anymore because I’m tired of searching. I want to hear it straight from you and don’t hide anything, please.”   
  
He turned over to meet with the confuse look in the woman’s face. He sighed heavily.   
  
“I know there’s a reason behind your decision to receive the order and I want to hear it straight from you.”   
  
The woman stared at him silently for a moment and sighed, almost grateful that the young man didn’t have any intention to do any harm to her. Okay, she said she’s ready to accept the payment of what she did in the past, but deep inside her heart she begged for forgiveness. It was so hard living while carrying a load in her shoulder and she couldn’t hold it anymore. She’s tired of carrying the guilty feeling all her life. So when he asked for the truth story, she knew she didn’t have any choice. She knew she couldn’t hide everything anymore. She knew that one of them would come to her and forced her to reveal everything so she decided to tell him the truth.   
  
“They got my husband and I don’t want to lose my son either so I took the assignment.”   
  
It was only one sentence but explained everything. Yuto pursed his lips.   
  
_So it’s right. There’s no way she killed her friends for nothing. So what I’ve thought is right._  
  
He turned over and faced her.   
  
“I got home one evening to find my husband was sitting unmoving on his chair with a hole on his head. The police considered it as a suicide but I know that they had killed him. They took Kouta with them as the guarantee and offered me the assignment as the change.”   
  
_So you didn’t have the choice. All you had done was saving your son. Every mother will do the same if they’ve been given the same situation._  
  
“Honestly, your father had warned me to be careful and told me to hide Kouta away because he smelt something suspicious. I was confused. Why should we hide our children because I knew that everything was okay that time? There was no single thread I receive. There was no single thread we received. So I called everybody and found that Yaotome was the only one who done it. He did the search secretly and found something big is going on. And I was too late to realize that the uppers had a grudge againts us. We were too late to realize it. I thought we had hid the truth we found secretly but it looked they found out what we had.”   
  
Yuto stunned. His expression turned cold once more. “The truth about what.”   
  
“They planned on destroying this country since years ago. They would take over the government and planned to rearrange all of the systems. Takaki was the first one that realize it and together with Yamada, they searched about the plan. We planned to stop them because we knew that they would bring this country into its doom. We searched more and planned strategies secretly. Your father was the one who had the blueprint of their base and because of the fire we lost it. It was the first move. They got Yaotome down as the first step then your house was next, and it was the sign for us. We suddenly realize that something was going after us, and before we could run, one by one, we got down.”   
  
_Exactly like Murayama told us._  
  
Yuto furrowed his brows. “When Yabu kidnapped?”   
  
The woman looked at him. “After the explosion of your house.”   
  
Yuto pursed his lips but said nothing.   
  
“I’ve tried to save him but turned out they got me too and gave me the choice or else they will kill him. I was a sniper, but also a mother. I didn’t want anything happen to my son. I don’t want anything happen to my son.”   
  
_Every mother will do anything to save their son, I know. It’s just …, I don’t know. There’s something I still don’t like about her. It looks like she is hiding something. I can see a lie in her eyes. What is it?_  
  
“Who lit the fire?”   
  
“I can’t tell you that.”   
  
Yuto narrowed his eyes and folded his arms in front of his chest.   
  
“You know what? If I do something to you, even if only a scratch, do you think Yabu won’t be hurt? Do you think he won’t do anything?”   
  
The woman stared at him in horror. “What? What are you going to do to him?”   
  
Yuto chuckled. “You didn’t listen carefully to my words. I won’t do anything to him. There’s no way I will harm him. He’s my brother. He is our big brother. I will do anything to protect him. But, I don’t think I can save him if he is willing to harm himself if he found out that his mother is wounded, or even killed because he can’t protect you.”   
  
The woman gulped and blinked many times before looked away.   
  
“He grew up. He is a good person. I don’t think he will do something that stupid.”   
  
_That’s not what a mother will say if they’ve been told that her son will kill himself because of her. Where’s your heart? Why are you suddenly turn cold?_  
  
“Still, he will feel guilty because he can’t protect you. He’s been searching you all his life and when he had found you, do you think he will be able to handle the feeling of losing you for the second time?”   
  
The woman didn’t say anything. The eerie atmosphere was suddenly filling the room. Yuto straightened his body when he felt the uneasiness was suddenly crawled to his heart. The room was suddenly felt suffocating.   
  
_What is it?_  
  
“Is that person more important than your son?”   
  
The woman stared intently at him. “I don’t mean that way. Kouta is important to me, more than anything else in the world, but you do know that I have the oath. I can’t break it.”   
  
“A real mother will do anything for her son. She even will give her life if it needed, so I think you also know that your oath is nothing.”   
  
Yuto was clearly could see the slight change in her expression.   
  
“Who are you?”   
  
The woman stared at him again and smiled.   
  
“I am Yabu Saki. I am the mother of Kouta, the person you considered as a big brother, who will kill himself if something bad happened to me.”   
  
_If you’re really Yabu’s mother you will answer my question without hesitation. You will spill everything until the tiny thing because you know that I am your son’s friend, who is fighting his life together with your son, and been through hell to stay alive until today. You will see our bond is more than anything, and we tend to choose to stay with our friends than hurting them. Are you really his mother?_  
  
The woman smiled. “You can doubt me, I don’t mind. I know I sounded weird for choosing my oath than my own son, but I won’t change my mind. I am a mother but I’m still a soldier. I once declared myself to be loyal to my country, and I will stick with it until I die.”   
  
“Even if you should sacrifice your son?”   
  
“An oath is an oath, and you know that I can’t betray it whatever it takes.”   
  
“This is your son we’re talking about, the person you’ve carried for nine months inside you, the person you took care until you left him, the person that had been looking for you for all his life.”   
  
The woman smiled again. “You know how it works, son. You shouldn’t ask me.”   
  
Yuto narrowed his eyes before sighed slightly, surrendered at the fact that he knew how their rules worked. The woman was right, that once they decided to join the force, they had to obey the rules no matter what.   
  
“So, the point is you don’t have anything to give us?”   
  
“I have.”   
  
Yuto narrowed his eyes to her again.   
  
_Are you going to break your oath now?_  
  
“I have the list of their members.”   
  
He chuckled lightly to the statement. “We have it too, I’m sorry. That won’t help us.”   
  
The woman smiled.   
  
_I know you have it. With your capability, there’s no way you don’t have it. As they said you’re great persons. It would be very difficult for anybody to get you down._  
  
“Then what are you waiting for? Go get them down.”   
  
“Get the down for what? What they’re trying to do isn’t related to us.”   
  
“They killed your family. They exploded your house.”   
  
Yuto smiled gently to the woman. “We have promised ourselves not to do anything with our past. We won’t take any revenge even if the killer of our family is standing right in front of us. We moved on. I moved on.”   
  
The woman stunned for a while and recovered when she heard a little chuckle from Yuto.   
  
“Are you sure you don’t want to do anything even if you’ve found the killer? So what is the use of you searching all of the evidences that your family was killed and the explosion of your house isn’t just a coincidence?”   
  
Once again, Yuto chuckled lightly. “I just want to know the reason. Why should they be killed? Did they do something wrong? And I’m truly glad because they’re as good as I thought. They didn’t hide anything from me.”   
  
The woman almost gaped at his answer. “That’s it?”   
  
Yuto smiled widely and nodded. “Yes, it is. I believe it’s not only me. I believe everybody has the same thought with me. We moved on.”   
  
“He’s right. We moved on. We won’t do anything to you. All we have to know is the reason behind all of those killing.”   
  
The door opened and revealed Keito followed by Yamada behind him, then Hikaru entered with Yuri in his arm.   
  
The woman slightly gaped at the fact that Yuri was wounded.   
  
“What happened to you? Are you okay?”   
  
Yuri walked over the woman. “Just a little greeting from my secret admirer, don’t worry, I’m fine.” He smiled widely. “So, it is exactly like what I thought when I heard it few times ago.” He turned to his friends. “Yabu should be here and hear this truth by himself or else he will kill himself because of his guilty feeling.”   
  
“Don’t worry, Inoo is with him and he will do anything to prevent him from killing himself. Yuya is there too. So is Daiki. So I think it’s okay to leave him in that room. Trust me, there’s nothing will happen to him with them stay beside him.” Hikaru walked to Yuto and suddenly whacked him on his head. “You’ve made my heart stopped beating when you walked out of the room. I thought you will do something bad to her.”   
  
Yuto smiled sheepishly and bowed. “I’m sorry.”   
  
The door opened and revealed the rest of them walked in. Yabu hurried his steps and bended in front of the woman. “Are you okay?”   
  
The woman smiled. “Why do you think I’m not okay?”   
  
Yabu pursed his lips, didn’t know what to say.   
  
“Don’t you trust your friend?”   
  
“I do. It’s just … “  
  
“I’m the one at fault. I walked out of the room with no words and anger showed in my face, so I guess they’re afraid that I would do something to you.” Yuto scratched his nape and smiled sheepishly to the woman.   
  
The woman smiled again. “I thought you mad at me too. You looked scary with no smile in your face and that stern look of yours, you look more dangerous.”   
  
Yuto laughed hard, made him earned whack from the others.   
  
“Where’s Yuya?” Hikaru looked around and didn’t found the said person.   
  
“He is receiving a call. I don’t know. It sounded very important.   
  
Right after Inoo finished his words the door opened and revealed Takaki with flat expression. Hikaru threw him a silent question and wondered about what had happened when Takaki ignored him.   
  
“I know that you are good people. Your care for each other amazed me since the first time Kota visited me in the asylum. And I know that … “  
  
The woman suddenly stopped talking. She slightly gaped and her eyes wide opened at a direction.   
  
“What? Are you okay?”   
  
Yabu caressed her arm gently, hoping she would be calmed.   
  
Everybody in the room looked at each other in silent before looked back to the woman who was still stunned, and without any command they followed the woman’s stare and they stoned when they saw Takaki was raising his hand with a gun was pointed at the woman.   
  
“Yuya! What are you doing?”   
  
Hikaru yelled loudly but it’s too late. Right after he shouted a silent bang heard and everyone once again stoned in their place when they saw blood was dripping from the woman’s forehead.   
  



	35. The Reason

Yabu fell onto his knees on the floor. Tears suddenly streamed down his cheek. His body shook hard but no voice came out of his mouth.  
  
“You killed her.” Yuri was the one who voiced out everybody’s thought.  
  
“Yes. I did.” Casually Takaki tucked his gun in his waistband.  
  
“Why? You promised. We’ve promised.”  
  
“I promised not to do anything with my past, and I keep it good. I didn’t do anything with the killer of my parents.”  
  
“You just killed her. You just shot the one who killed your family. How can you say that you didn’t do anything with the killer of your parents?”  
  
Takaki stared the woman with hatred in his eyes. Everybody could see clearly the anger within him. Some of them gulped at the fact that at the time, Takaki looked very scary.  
  
Yamada gritted his teeth hard. He tried to swim through Takaki’s mind but couldn’t even enter. He couldn’t find any other reason for Takaki killing the woman aside of the reason from the past. The fact that the woman was the one who pulled the trigger to shot his family. Their family.  
  
_I promised not to do anything with my past, and I keep it good. I didn’t do anything with the killer of my parents._  
  
The words kept ringing in his ears on and on along the pregnant time.  
  
_What is it, Takaki? Come on! Spill it! You’ve promised not to do anything to the woman because she is Yabu’s mother. You’re the one who told me to forget everything about that shooting incident, and stop my searching because someone will get hurt if I keep doing it. But look at you now. You shot her. With a cold heart, and anger within you. You don’t even try to cover it. You show it boldly in front of us that you got mad and really want to kill her. And you did it._  
  
_Come on! Say something reasonable!_  
  
_It is so not you._  
  
Some of the boys almost bulged their eyes but didn’t say anything because they didn’t know what to say. They didn’t know what to do. They just stood there, staring at the woman who didn’t move even a finger again. A part of them were still surprised at the fact that Takaki suddenly came to the room and shot the woman, but a part of them understood what Takaki did. He’d searched. He did it since who knows how long and no one knows what he had found along the search. From their experiences, they knew that he had the reason. He always had the reason for doing something unusual. He always had a reason for being unreasonable.  
  
And now, Takaki was doing something very unreasonable but no one dared to spill a word.  
  
And the woman was Yabu’s mother. And Takaki was the one who would never hurt his friends, especially the close ones. Yabu was one of his closest friends. The one he considered as one of his family. The one he considered as his big brother. Killing his mother meant killing Yabu himself.  
  
_What are you doing, Takaki?_  
  
“She’s the one who sold us out. She’s the mastermind of the blowing of our house.” He greeted his jaws with eyes were still staring intently to the unmoved body on the wheelchair. His fist clenched. He was trying hard not to throw any punch or kick the dead woman.  
  
The bomb had landed. The explosions within them had destroyed all of the good things they felt from the woman, but the boys were too smart to show the anger. They kept it good inside them. They just gritted their jaws tightly, and suddenly felt their heart was empty.  
  
“There’s no way she did it. She’s in the asylum all the time. She couldn’t even walk out by herself. The asylum is guarded intensively. She didn’t even have any phone with her to make a call.” Yuri tried hard to deny. He fell in love with the woman. He felt the warmth since the woman came to the house.  
  
“A pro doesn’t need any phone to make a call. They can use anything to communicate. You knew how we work. Why still you ask that question?”  
  
He suddenly closed his mouth. He bit his lower lip, realized that the older was totally right and he couldn’t retort more. He closed his eyes and walked away from the room, bringing his torn heart, trying to heal himself from the wound.  
  
“You just killed my mother.” Yabu wailed weakly. He was still staring to his mother, hoped that the shoot was just a fake and she was still breathing.  
  
Takaki chuckled lightly, almost in annoyed tone.  
  
“Is she really your mother?”  
  
“She is.”  
  
“How can you be so sure that she is your mother?”  
  
“Because she is.”  
  
“Who found her?”  
  
Yabu stunned. Everything suddenly stopped moving before turned back like flashbacks in his memories. Every word, every act, every fact, every story he had received since he found the woman he called as his mother.  
  
_How can you be so sure that she is your mother?_  
  
He turned slowly but gave him no answer, and all he found was the burning stare from Takaki’s eyes. It’s so rare seeing him got mad at something, but once he did it, he would be scary. There’s always a big reason when he got mad and his heart was suddenly twisted at the fact that he got mad now.  
  
“Have you checked everything about her?”  
  
Suddenly everything looked clear. He felt like he was just gotten up from a very long sleeping. He blinked his eyes and almost could feel the arrow was stabbing into his heart when Takaki was still staring intently right to his eyes.  
  
_Come on! Think! Analyze everything carefully like you always did! Show me that we still have you. Show me that you’re still clean. Show me that they don’t brainwash you. Show me that you are still you are._  
  
He once again could only blink his eyes at the silent requests from Takaki. He looked at everybody and found the same expression. He looked back to Takaki and almost clearly could read the pleading in his eyes. He gulped and blinked again.  
  
_Jin found her. He told me to come to the asylum because my mother was there. He didn’t tell me how he found her. He never mentioned how he found her. He just told me that he had found her and told me to see her in the asylum, and I never do the crosscheck. I just ate what he served._  
  
He turned to the dead body and the feeling of doubt was suddenly crawling to his heart.  
  
_I believe in everything he said. I never ask anything. How he found her? When? Where? Those questions never came to my mind. I just ate everything he gave me._  
  
He took a deep breath and gulped once again.  
  
_But why I feel that she is my mother since the first time I met her in the asylum? I never doubt her. I suddenly feel so close to her. I feel like I’m with my mother. My own mother._  
  
He blinked many times in silence.  
  
_Does Jin really have a grudge against me? Why? Did I do something wrong to him? I don’t remember anything. I don’t remember that I did something bad to him. He was the one who left me._  
  
A soft tap on his back awoke him from his trance. He turned to face the flat expression of Takaki.  
  
“I’m really sorry to disappoint you, but she isn’t your mother.”  
  
Takaki gave him papers he held and walked out of the room right away, still with his hand clenched and gritted his jaws, preventing himself from getting mad at the place.  
  
Yabu blinked many times and slowly turned to the paper. He stared them silently for a while, didn’t move and didn’t realize that one by one everybody was walking away. He didn’t do anything for a moment. His mind stopped working until he realized that his hand was shaking. The hand that holding the papers was shaking hard.  
  
He gulped and took the papers with his another hand and started to read them. His shoulders slumped more and more each page, and when he finished he turned to stare at the woman before turned over and walked out of the room.  
  
He stood in the hallway for a moment. He blinked slowly, hoped that when he opened his eyes everything was only a dream.  
  
But it wasn’t.  
  
He still felt his mind was still as blank as the moment he read the papers.  
  
_The papers._  
  
He looked down to the papers in his hand. He gulped and tried to read it once again, silently hoped that he had read them wrong. He silently hoped that his eyes were cheating on him.  
  
But once again he realized that they weren’t. He read it right. All of the writing was true and he suddenly felt he was being betrayed. He gritted his teeth and suddenly got mad at himself. He got mad at the fact that he was so easily trapped.  
  
“It’s okay, Kou. At least you know that she isn’t your mother and everything is being handled before it turned into a mess.”  
  
He turned and melted to the smile his best friend gave him.  
  
_How can I be this careless? I should’ve checked it first. I always checked everything first._  
  
“I said, it is okay, Kou. Everybody will do the same as you in your case. Who don’t want to see their mother after years searching? If I’m the one in your place, I even will do something stupid. I believe I will do anything to save her. I believe I will leave you and fly away with her so you won’t do anything to harm her. I will close my eyes and my ears from any fact you’ve found about her. I will stupidly believe in everything she said. I will stupidly …”  
  
“Kei. …, stop it.”  
  
Inoo looked at him and smiled. “We are family, aren’t we?”  
  
Yabu gulped slightly, and before he could stop it, his tears rolled down his cheek. “I don’t know that I’m this stupid.”  
  
Inoo smiled and playfully kicked him. “No, you weren’t, and no, you aren’t. You’re still the smart person I know.”  
  
“I should’ve checked it first. No wonder Takaki got mad that bad.”  
  
“He’s not mad at you. He’s mad at her for trapping us with her story.”  
  
Yabu wiped his tears and breathed heavily. “I …, I …, I should ask apologize to everyone. I caused a lot of trouble to them.” He turned and walked away.  
  
Inoo reached his arm and stopped him. “You don’t have to. You didn’t do anything wrong. Trust me, no one will blame you for everything we’ve been through lately.”  
  
“But I … “  
  
“Why don’t we get a cup of tea instead? You need to calm down so you can think clearly.”  
  
It was just a plain simple offer from his best friend but Yabu could feel a forcing tone in it. He looked at him just to get a silent stare that said he wouldn’t accept a no answer, so he nodded and followed him.  
  
The other had sat around the table when he entered the library. He looked around and found that Takaki and Hikaru weren’t there. He sighed lightly before decided to join them.  
  
A soft caress on his arms made him turned and his heart warmed so sudden when he found Yuri was smiling at him. He could read the bitterness in the smile but he could see that Yuri was trying hard to hide it.  
  
_I’m really sorry._  
  
Yuri shook his head lightly, showed him that he was fine. So he smiled back and nodded, signed him that he’s fine too.  
  



	36. Again

“What have we missed?”  
  
Yuto bit his lips and stared at Yabu when Inoo threw the question. He pursed his lips when he found nobody tried to explain anything, and he could only sigh when Keito kicked him under the table, signed him to do the explanation.  
  
“We knew that Takaki won’t mad for nothing, right?”  
  
“I don’t ask that part. I knew. All of us knew that, so let’s drop that part, okay? All I want to know is what have you been discussing before we arrived. Do you find something more?”  
  
Once again Yuto pursed his lips. He almost couldn’t avert his stare from Yabu.  
  
“Yuto, do you know anything about this? I mean, do you know what Takaki had found out?”  
  
The said person just blinked his eyes many times and kept silence for a moment before nodded in doubt.  
  
“Kind of. I don’t know. I’m not really sure.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Yeah, I smelt something suspicious about him lately, I kind of found a clue about his searching but couldn’t conclude anything.”  
  
Everybody looked at him. Some of them raised their brows as the question about his answer.  
  
Yuto breathed heavily knowing about the disatisfaction of his friends about his words.  
  
“Well …, actually I don’t know anything about the fact that she … isn’t …,” he pointed Yabu with his chin, “his mother. All I know is Takaki’s been acting weird lately. I don’t remember since when but I started to feel suspicious when we moved here. He often avoided us when receiving calls. I know he found something, and because he didn’t say anything then I guessed it must be something related to us.”  
  
Yuto stopped for a while when the servants served the tea.  
  
“I tried to search and after a while I found that it’s something about the woman. I kept my ears opened widely but heard nothing. He didn’t spill anything even for Hikaru. He carried it alone for sometimes until lately, you followed him everywhere like you are afraid that he would do something stupid.” He pointed clearly with his finger at Yamada and Ryutaro, who accidentally sat in a row. “It was the time when I realize that it must be something VERY serious. I opened my eyes and my ears more widely since that time.”  
  
“You smelt something?”  
  
“Yes, but I don’t know what it is. I can’t guess what’s going on for sometimes, what he had found, and why he looked different. I don’t know about you but for me, for sometimes lately, Takaki looked like a crybaby. I can see clearly tears were always hanging in the corner of his eyes. He looked so fragile. He always gritted his jaws tightly like he was trying hard not to cry.”  
  
“Why don’t you tell us anything?”  
  
Yuto chuckled almost loudly so sudden. He turned to Daiki who asked the question.  
  
“What should I tell you? _Guys, Takaki is going to cry for something._ Should I tell you that? Would you believe me?”  
  
Everybody shook their head and Daiki sighed heavily.  
  
“You’re right. And Takaki is always hiding something. Remember about Hikaru’s case? He’s good with that part, but I still can’t believe that he hid this one too. This is too big even for him to carry alone.”  
  
“Then how you found the clue?”  
  
Yuto turned to Yabu who threw him the question. The oldest looked better than the first time he arrived in the room, so he smiled and felt his heart at ease.  
  
“The way he looked at you was changing. His stare always threw you a question, _what should I do?_ ”  
  
“Then you planned everything? How to make the woman spill everything to you?”  
  
“Nope.” He turned to Keito who looked at him in silence after his question cut by his fast answer. “The idea came so sudden when Yabu was apologizing. I have to do something. I want to make sure that what I have in my mind is right.”  
  
“So you don’t know either that Takaki wanted to shot her?”  
  
“I’m the same blind as you about that part. I didn’t even see that Takaki brought his gun.”  
  
No one talk for a while after that. They just looked at each other in silence.  
  
“If …, anyone who sent her knows that she died, then they will attack this house.” Yuri looked at everybody while holding his cup of tea tightly.  
  
Everybody stopped whatever they’re doing, suddenly realized about the consequences. They looked at each other in silence, discussing without words about what they’re going to do.  
  
“The point is we have to get out of this house as soon as we can or we will give everybody in this house more trouble. We have to get out of here, now.” Inoo stood up from his chair and walked.  
  
“We are.” Hikaru suddenly popped out of the door and signed them to follow him. “Let’s go.”  
  
Everyone stood up and followed him who walked as fast as he could to the kitchen where every staff of the house looked gloomy while staring at Takaki.  
  
“I know we can do something.”  
  
Murayama almost pleaded so they wouldn’t leave.  
  
“You know you can’t. We have to get out of here before they realize that we got her down. Once they realize they won’t stop. They will still attack this house, but trust me, they won’t do anything to you if they don’t find any trace of us, and you kept your mouth shut about us being living here all this time.”  
  
“Don’t worry about that, Master Yuya. You know that we’re very good at keeping secret.”  
  
Takaki slightly smiled to the tall middle-aged man and nodded. “Is the secret underground passage still there?”  
  
Irie smiled and signed them to follow him.  
  
Everyone looked at each other before they walked behind Takaki and raised their brows when some staffs of the house moved the large table in the dining room. Irie lifted the thick carpet and revealed a secret door on the floor.  
  
“Dé Javu.”  
  
Everybody turned to Inoo and then to each other, and a memory rushed back to them, the memory of their house, created a silent moment between them.  
  
“There’s nothing will happen to this house, I can promise you” Murayama suddenly voiced her mind when they saw slight gloomy look at their faces. “We will do anything to keep this house exist. We won’t let anything happen to this house.”  
  
“We will do anything to protect this house so you will still have a place to go. One day, if you’re stuck and feeling like wishing to go home,” Irie stood up and raised his hands, “this is your house. Come home anytime you want. We will be here and the door of this house will always stay open for you. All of you.”  
  
The boys smiled at the tall man and some of them nodded lightly. Takaki patted his arm. He didn’t say anything but the tall man could read his mind.  
  
_We will miss you too, Young Master. Take care of yourself. We will always wait for you to come back here._  
  
Everyone took a glance to each other every now and then along the way of moving out of the place. No one say anything along the way to the surface. More like they were holding their breath. Some of them were gritting their teeth hard. Yabu stunned when somebody was suddenly holding his sleeve. He turned and found Ryutaro was walking closely to him. He smiled and turned back to the front when Hikaru suddenly whistled in a very low voice.  
  
“The same ladder.”  
  
Everybody could hear when Hikaru breathed heavily.  
  
“Let’s hope that the house won’t explode when we got out from here.”  
  
No one interested to respond him, made him breathed heavily once again before took a firm step to climb the ladder.  
  
A soft breeze welcomed them right away. They looked around and found no one around the bushes.  
  
“Let’s go.”  
  
They turned to Takaki who had his hood on and walked forward in confidence away from the place, before tailed him in wonder.  
  
“Yuya, where are we going?” Yuri skipped to his side with a big smile on his face, “Do you have another place to go?” just to receive a hard face with no expression on it. He rolled his eyes and shrugged to Inoo who smiled and gave him a silent advice to follow him instead.  
  
It was a very silent trip, made them sighed many times because of the memory that rushed back to their mind along the way. Yuri almost asked him more when suddenly Takaki stopped in front of a plain two-story building. He took out a key from his pocket and showed them.  
  
“The second floor is ours.”  
  
Yuto moved forward and snatched the key before stormed to the stair besides the building. Everybody else followed him greedily and almost raced to the second floor.  
  
A little chuckle made Takaki look to his side and found Hikaru was smiling widely while looking at the bunch. “I always wonder in this kind of situation. Who are they? Professional soldiers? Or just a bunch of kids who’re trying to find comfort.”  
  
“We are both.”  
  
Hikaru smiled again and shook his head. “Yeah. You’re right. We’re both. Proffesional soldiers, yet we’re just a bunch of kids who were trying to find comfort we’ve never gotten before. Too long in the orphanage made us trying hard to find those comforts.”  
  
Takaki didn’t respond. He just kept silent in his place. Hikaru looked at him and his smile lost in a second. He turned and threw Takaki a very serious look on his face.  
  
“Okay, who called you?”  
  
Takaki turned to him and found a silent pleading in his eyes. He didn’t find any force in his question, but he could read that Hikaru was just trying to break him from his stifness. He smiled lightly and shook his head.  
  
“Good. Finally I got you back. I like your smile better than your flat expression. You’re really scary with that look. Like you’re going to kill somebody.”  
  
Takaki chuckled lightly at the comment.  
  
_I’m sorry. I don’t mean to scare anyone. It’s just ..., too hard for me to handle my feeling. I’m okay if she was just the killer of my family, but she is also the mastermind of the destruction of our house._  
  
_Our house._  
  
_That place means a lot to me._  
  
_I can’t forgive anybody who destroy it. Even it’s Yabu’s mother._  
  
_Thanks God she isn’t._  
  
_And thanks God for making Yabu stays with us. I know he will survive. I know he will recover soon._  
  
“Okay, now, may I know who called you?”  
  
Takaki bit his lower lip and just looking at Hikaru for a moment.  
  
“Come on! Don’t you believe me? I know you received calls many times and everytime you received those calls you always trying to hide it. You didn’t share it to anyone, even me. I always wonder who called you. Is it that important until you keep it alone? About what? I always keep the question in my mind and trying hard not to voice it out but now, I can’t handle it. Don’t you want to tell me?”  
  
“It’s Matsumoto.”  
  
Hikaru looked at him in silent for a moment.  
  
“The one from Arashi?”  
  
Takaki didn’t give hi any respond. He just walked to the stairs and stepped hesitantly to the second floor.  
  
Hikaru pursed his lips and nodded many times before took a glance to him.  
  
“What had he said?”  
  
“He had searched everything since the blowing and found the clue of who ordered. They’re trying to find more now and will call me when they found something.”  
  
“They?”  
  
“All the member of their unit.”  
  
“Okay, since when you become this close to them?”  
  
There’s no answer. Hikaru turned to him and looked at him in silent for a moment, and found his flat expression. He sighed when his best friend didn’t say more.  
  
_I hate you when you got mad at something. You will be this silent and won’t tell me anything if I don’t ask you._  
  
“Yuuyaa~”  
  
Takaki breathed heavily. “Since they blow our house. Since I lost the place I love the most. Since I lost the best shelter I have.”  
  
Hikaru looked at him and found hurt in his eyes. He sighed lightly and greeted his teeth hard. He knew the feeling. He couldn’t forgive anyone who destroy their house too but he couldn’t think any way to find the culprit.  
  
_I always wonder how your mind works. You always can think a way to find something. This is why Yamada always tries to read you._  
  
“So, who do you think shot Yuri?”  
  
Takaki didn’t say a word. He looked up to the sky and walked to the stairs.  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
“So far we suggested that Ohno did it, but Yuri doubt it. If he’s right then we fall into darkness once again, and have to scratch from the beginning. Once again.”  
  
Takaki implanted his cheek and turned to Hikaru.  
  
“I want to make sure of something.”  
  
“You want to meet them? To make sure that the whisper didn’t come because of them?”  
  
Takaki nodded.  
  
“Okay, I’ll go with you, just to make sure that you’re not alone in case you suddenly fall into unwanted situation.”  
  
Takaki stared at him just to get _I-insist_ look on his face. He sighed and shrugged. He looked to the living room where everybody were lazing around and silently moved out of the house. He was just stepped his feet on the last staircase when Hikaru nudged him.  
  
“Hurry up. We have to get away before they realize that we’re gone.”  
  
Without word Takaki followed him obediently. No one talk along the way. They just walked. They didn’t even look back.  
  
_Run._  
  
Takaki breathed heavily.  
  
_It’s okay, Mom. If I have to die now, I’m ready. At least Yui is safe. At least everybody in the house is safe. Maybe I can’t save Hikaru, but at least everybody else is safe. No one knows about the house. Not even Hikaru at first. I hope they will stay there and don’t go out._  



	37. Meeting The Ally

“Please. If you hear your Mom, tell me. Don’t keep it on your own.”  
  
Takaki turned to see the pleading look on Hikaru’s face.  
  
“Maybe you’re ready to die but I’m not. I still have to find my family and I promised myself that I will not die until the day I find them. And for you to know, I’m not ready too if I have to lose you now, so I will fight all my life to save you in case something happen later. Just like what Yamada did before. Or even worse. So please, tell me if your mother had said something in your mind.”  
  
Takaki blinked many times in silence. This was the first time Hikaru said something serious. Okay, this wasn’t actually the first time he said something serious but not like this. He was too stunned until he stopped walking and just looked at Hikaru without words.  
  
“Oh, come on! Do you think I’m weird? Saying something like that? I just told you what I have in my mind. And I don’t lie about anything I’ve said. You do know that you’re the only family I have until today so I will really fight to save you.”  
  
Takaki smiled a little and walked again. “No. It’s not weird. I’m just …, I'm just surprised. Hearing you say something like that. It’s kind of …, heavy thing, and it’s so not you.”  
  
Hikaru breathed heavily. “I know. I just have to wake you up from your trance. I can see clearly on your face what you had thought.”  
  
_Run._  
  
“She said again.”  
  
“Oh yeah …, what?”  
  
“Mom. She just told me to run.”  
  
Hikaru gaped for a while. He lost his words for a second before realized what he just heard.  
  
“Then let’s run.”  
  
Takaki smiled and fastened his step. He couldn’t even hold his laugh hearing Hikaru’s respond.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
“You are.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Before Takaki could give him further explanation, hands pulled them to a dark valley and dragged them away. They moved too fast for Takaki and Hikaru to think about everything. They were too surprised and could only blink when they reached an old warehouse.  
  
“You’ve been followed, don’t you realize that? What are you doing out there? Did I tell you to stay hidden?”  
  
Takaki didn’t say anything. He just looked at the speaker in silence. For a while, he just stood there. There’s no word. He just looked at the people in the warehouse in silence.  
  
Few seconds passed but Hikaru felt the time was moving too slow. He could feel the cold sweat was starting to make his body shook from the coolness. He gripped his fist, got readied himself to fight. He could feel his heart was jumping up and down inside his ribs. He tried hard to stay calm while watching Takaki who stayed silence in his place, and he could feel the eerie atmosphere was suddenly enveloping him.  
  
It was like the sunshine after a heavy rain when he saw Takaki turned to him and smiled a little. He even shook his head and chuckled.  
  
“What?”  
  
“He was just analyzing the situation, Jun. I’m right, aren’t I, Takaki?”  
  
Takaki turned to the person who was walking to him. He just smiled when the person stopped right in front of him and narrowed his eyes to look at him.  
  
“Heard about the six sense. Do you really have it?”  
  
Takaki chuckled loudly. “No. It’s not a six sense. Really. I don’t have it. I don’t know anything about it. It’s just a matter of luck.”  
  
“Are you sure? Because you look different. You always give me vibe every time we stand side by side”  
  
“Isn’t it because he’s taller than you, Sho?”  
  
“What?”  
  
All of them laughed hard when the said person responded too fast as should be.  
  
“Okay, enough for joking. Now tell me what you are doing out there. I remember clearly that I told you to stay hidden. After you kill the woman, I don’t think they will stay silent.” Matsumoto stopped for a while. He stared Takaki when a question flashed in his mind. “Did you kill the woman?”  
  
“I did.”  
  
“Yosh!”  
  
Both Takaki and Hikaru looked at the source of the voice, and found Ohno was reaching out his hand and the other three people were giving him money.  
  
“Are you betting?” Hikaru moved to them to demand their explanation. “I can’t believe this!”  
  
Takaki smiled seeing him joining the group. He turned back to Matsumoto who was still staring at him intently. “We got out of the house. We had to do it to safe all of the people in the house.”  
  
“How’s the body?”  
  
“It’s been taken care, don’t worry. No trace of her in the house, trust me. Even if they attack the house, they won’t find anything. Do you find something?”  
  
Matsumoto looked at him again and nodded. “Yes. But I don’t think you will like it.”  
  
Without words, Takaki threw him a silence question, silently wished that he wouldn’t hear any surprise. He was too tired with all of things happened lately. He was tired with all of the surprises they got lately.  
  
“The woman is nobody. She’s just a toy. There’s a person behind all of things that happened lately, and trust me, we had decided to move out of the troop as soon as we found the truth.”  
  
Takaki held his breath and got himself to be ready to hear the news. He gulped hard.  
  
“The truth about what?”  
  
“About everything. About who is the person behind all of these mess.”  
  
Takaki gritted his teeth. He didn’t say anything because he couldn’t find any words to say.  
  
“We started to question about everything lately, actually, because the uppers were too secretive to us. I don’t know since when, but so far I remember, it’s since Jin moved out of his unit.”  
  
Takaki turned to Aiba who was walking slowly to them.  
  
“The blowing of your house was the trigger. Nobody knows about our living but they found yours. How? It’s weird because we found it was a heavy weapon that destroyed it. Isn’t it?”  
  
“It’s caliber fifty,” Hikaru blurted out loudly, “and I’m sorry I won’t tell you how they got our house down because it’s too painful, but yes, it’s a heavy weapon.” He stunned before cursed and scratched the back of his head. “Shit. It reminds me of my important thing.”  
  
Takaki rolled his eyes and shook his head, didn’t believe that Hikaru still remembered about the thing. He stared at him to only got a-what question in his look.  
  
“So far we knew that the weapon is owned by the military department.”  
  
“The question is, if they aren’t soldiers, how they got it?” Matsumoto stared at Takaki intently, as if he asked that question personally to him.  
  
“Someone got it for them,” Hikaru walked back and stood beside Takaki. He tapped his back gently and smiled to Matsumoto, “don’t ask him any puzzled question because he won’t understand. Just ask him straight and you will get a straight answer too.”  
  
Matsumoto chuckled a little at the request. He took a glance to Takaki who looked away while scratching the back of his head.  
  
“So, the rumor is right? About how simple minded you are.”  
  
Takaki pursed his lips. “I don’t care about what you’ve heard. I am who I am, and I won’t change even if you say something bad about me. I’m proud of being myself whatever people talk about me.”  
  
“Hey, take it easy.” Sakurai walked to them again. “Simple minded doesn’t mean that you are stupid. It’s just …, you have a very simple way to think, or you don’t like to think about something heavy. You only want to think one thing at a time and refuse to think about everything at once, because it will confuse you.”  
  
Takaki smiled. “I never think that I am stupid. I remember clearly, my father said to me once that people got their own talent. Even if you are a stupid, you still have another thing to be proud of. I know I don’t like to think something heavy, but I believe that I have something to be proud of.”  
  
Everyone smiled at his answer.  
  
Hikaru circled his hand to Takaki’s shoulder.  
  
“Maybe he doesn’t realize it, yet, but trust me, you can ask me everything about him. I can tell you dozen of his good things.”  
  
He grinned widely, showed everybody his comical face that made everyone almost chuckled loudly.  
  
“Okay! Back to the topic. You said you had found something. Could you tell us?”  
  
Ending his smile, Matsumoto turned to Hikaru, who suddenly got the sign that the news was going to be unpleasant. He breathed heavily and his smile lost right away.  
  
“Is it related to us?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
He turned to Takaki and could read the uneasiness in him.  
  
Takaki breathed heavily. “I trust every people in my house.” He confidently stated to Matsumoto. Everybody could hear his confident voice. There’s no trace of any doubt in it.  
  
“It’s not the people in your house.” Ninomiya swing his feet casually. He suddenly stunned and looked at Takaki. “So, it is really your house. I mean, it is huge, you know. And the name tagged in front of the gate isn’t Takaki. Is it really your house?”  
  
“It’s a very long story but I won’t tell you even if you have a lot of time to hear everything. Back to the topic again. So, what is it? If it isn’t related to my house, then it must be us.”  
  
Both Takaki and Hikaru held their breath when the elder didn’t say anything.  
  
“It is me, isn’t it?”  
  
Suddenly everybody turned to the speaker who appeared so sudden from the gate of the warehouse, followed by the other.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Takaki demanded them to explain their appearance.  
  
“Let me correct you, Takaki. What are you doing here?” Yamada threw him the same question sarcastically. “Silently went out of the house with saying nothing. You are really stupid if you think we don’t know about your move.”  
  
“Fine, fine. It’s enough. No need to quarrel about simple thing, okay.” Ohno raised his hands to calm them. He walked to the group and stopped in front of Chinen. “Are you okay? How’s the wound?”  
  
Chinen smiled widely. Everybody could see his cheek was blushing a little.  
  
“I’m fine. It’s just a little wound and it’s nothing.  
  
Ohno nodded and walked away.  
  
“It is my father, isn’t it?”Daiki stood in front of Matsumoto and stared at him without blinking. Everybody in the room could read the pain in his voice. They could see the pain in his eyes. “He refused to tell me everything but I believe that he is the one behind all of these mess. He even killed his best friends to get everything he wants.”  
  
Matsumoto smiled again. “Yes.”  
  
Everybody held their breath at the answer. They turned to Daiki and saw him tried hard not to break.  
  
“But he’s just a toy too, just like the woman he killed in his house.” He pointed at Takaki but didn’t even turned to him. He just stared at Daiki intently.  
  
“Wh .., what?”  
  
“There’s someone with a better position up there who ordered them. That one is still commanding, and your father is just one of his toys.”  
  
They gulped at the fact that their guess was right. They once discussed about their current position, how they’ve been formed, and how they’ve been destroyed. They concluded that the uppers were bored to have them as their part and decided to erase them.  
  
It was their conclusion and they decided not to discuss about it ever again.  
  
Now, the problem was appeared once again, ambushed them with no mercy, and didn’t give them any choice to choose. They had to face it.  
  
Matsumoto smiled again and suddenly turned to Yabu and stared at him for a second.  
  
Yabu looked back at him without words. His heart stopped so sudden at the thought that appeared in his mind.  
  
_No._  
  
He almost jumped at the sudden interruption. His phone went off. He reached and stunned when he saw the name showed on the screen.  
  
“Yes, Jin?”  
  
_“Where are you?”_  
  
He didn’t answered and looked at Matsumoto who raised his hands at him. He pushed the loud speaker at his phone so everybody could hear the conversation too.  
  
_“Kou! Something big is going to happen soon, and I want you to come with me. I don’t want anything bad happens to you. Please, come with me.”_  
  
“Can you tell me what is going to happen that make you this panic, Jin. Relax. Everything is under control. Nothing bad will happen to me because I know how to defend myself.”  
  
_“This isn’t the time to confront me, Kou. Please. Go to my house. It’s the safest place for you to stay.”_  
  
“What if I say that I’m in the safest place now, Jin.”  
  
_“For God sakes, it’s not the time for you to be a stubborn, Kou. Please. Come to my house. I won’t be there because I have something important to do, but, please go, and stay there until I say everything is fine for you to go out.”_  
  
“Will you tell me what is going on, Jin?”  
  
_“Akanishi, the Commander is waiting for you in his office.”_  
  
_“Yes, five seconds.”_  
  
Everybody could hear rustles and the door was being opened, and then closed.  
  
_“Listen, I have to go. Please. Do what I said!”_  
  
Everybody could only look at each other when the conversation stopped. A little chuckled heard and everybody turned to Aiba who raised his hands in the air and smiled widely.  
  
“It starts~”  
  



	38. The Lost

He stood silently at an opened place in front of a tall building. He didn’t care about his own safety. He had surrendered from the very beginning. There’s a wound inside his heart and it got wider every time. He didn’t care anymore. He didn’t even care when a little voice from a corner of his heart ordered him to back off. He didn’t care.   
  
He breathed heavily before decided to walk into the building. Every pair of eyes in the lobby looked at him when he walked casually through to the elevator. He didn’t say anything. He tried not to much talking as usual. He decided to talk when he met with the person he tried to find. Not before it. Silently he pushed the button to the top of the building.   
  
_“I’m in my boss’ office. Just go to my place and wait for me.”_  
  
He searched.   
  
No.   
  
His friends had searched that the boss’s room was in the top of the building and he wouldn’t back off now. He needed to know the truth.   
  
_“They will kill you!”_  
  
The words were mingling in his head on and on but he tried to ignore it.   
  
_He left me. I still don’t know the reason why and now he deceived me. Did I do something wrong to him? What? I really need to know. He won’t deceive me without reason._  
  
He could hear his heart beat loudly. He took a deep breath to calm himself, but it still beat too loud until he could hear it clearly. He gripped his fingers to hide the tremble.   
  
_I need to see him. I can’t back off now. I need to see him._  
  
The sound of the door opening startled him and made him almost jumped from his place. He breathed deeply to calm himself once again and walked out of the elevator.   
  
“Can I help you?”   
  
Yabu blinked many times to the man who suddenly stood in front of him. He could feel the intimidation from his eyes.   
  
_Calm down, Kota. You don’t do anything wrong. You just want to meet your brother._   
  
He smiled and hid his hands to his pocket.   
  
“I want to see my brother. He said he’s in his boss’s office so I guess it’s better for me to go here because I really need to meet him.”   
  
The man stared intently to him. He watched Yabu carefully from the top until his toe.   
  
“May I know the name of your brother?”   
  
“Akanishi Jin.”   
  
The man narrowed his eyes in curiosity.   
  
“He never said that he had a brother.”   
  
Yabu smiled. “Of course. I’m just a friend of him when he’s still in the orphanage. I’m nobody until he and I took an oath to be a brother in a moonlight night. Not just me, actually. There’re five of us, but I consider Jin as my big brother. You can call him if you don’t believe me. You can even tie me here in that chair so I won’t do anything.” He pointed at a chair in the room with his chin.   
  
The man smirked. “There’s no need to do that. You won’t do anything with that kind of body.”   
  
Yabu smiled. Silently he thanked himself for staying thin.   
  
“Wait here.”   
  
The man entered the room behind him and not more than five minutes the figure he really wanted to meet almost ran through the door.   
  
“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you to come to my place?” Jin hissed sharply.   
  
“I want to meet you. If I go to your place you won’t be there.”   
  
“We will talk later. Not now.”   
  
“I need to talk to you now, Jin. I can’t wait.”   
  
Before Jin could retort, somebody coughed behind them. They turned and found a middle-aged man was leaning the door and smiled at them.   
  
“Isn’t it better if you talk in my room? I will give you space.”   
  
Yabu could see Jin’s face was hardened before he gave a sign to follow him to walk into the room. He breathed heavily and got himself readied to enter the room.   
  
“Is this the person you call a little brother?”   
  
Jin bowed lightly. “Yes, Sir.”   
  
“Don’t you want to introduce him to me?”   
  
“His name’s Yabu Kouta. There’s no blood bond between us. We just came from the same orphanage, but I had considered him as my little brother.”   
  
The man nodded many times while watching Yabu carefully.   
  
“But I’m sorry, young man. You just came to the wrong place. Why don’t you do as he had said, go to his place and wait for him to come back?”   
  
Yabu breathed heavily to hide his sudden nervousness. “I really need to talk to him.”   
  
“Is there something very important that you can’t wait until he finished his duty?”   
  
Yabu looked up to the man. “Is he on duty?”   
  
“He is.”   
  
Yabu almost gaped. He lost his words.   
  
“I’m sorry but I won’t let you go out from here until he finished his duty. You have to stay here and wait until he comes back later.” The man stood up from his chair. “Akanishi, let’s go.”   
  
“Where are you going?” Yabu grabbed Jin’s arm just to be shrugged off. “I only need five minutes.”   
  
Jin grabbed him back. “We need more than five minutes because you don’t listen to me. When I told you to go to my place, I really mean it. This place is very dangerous especially for you.” He hissed sharply while staring at the younger intently.   
  
Yabu gulped. The way Jin spoke made him stunned. The tone made him shivered.   
  
“You better stay here and do nothing if you want to be safe. Trust me. I don’t know what he will do later when we come back here. So, be a good boy and don’t do anything stupid while I’m not here.”   
  
Yabu once again just gulped. He suddenly became speechless. He could only see and said nothing when Jin turned over and almost slammed the door. Jin was always calm and gentle to him but he didn’t find the person he knew.   
  
He could only sigh heavily at the realization that his friends were right after all. He looked around the room and tried hard to think about a way out. He turned to the door and stared intently at it. He implanted his cheeks and shook his head.   
  
_There’s no way I walk out through that door. There must be at least one guard and I don’t want to make any ruckus. Not in this building where all the people in it wants me to die._  
  
He glanced the window and a narrowed his eyes.   
  
_This is the twentieth floor. Should I try?_  
  
He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows, thinking hard about the safety of walking out from the window. He tapped his chin in a steady rhythm when suddenly the glass window opened and a full smile face showed up in front of him.   
  
“Hi, miss me?”   
  
He blinked many times in disbelief. Not that he didn’t believe that his friend could enter the room easily but not in the way he did.   
  
No.   
  
Not just a friend.   
  
He could only throw a light chuckle of disbelief when some others entered the room in the same way.   
  
“Who’s idea this time?”   
  
“Inoo’s”   
  
Everybody answered him at the same time, made him smiled and shook his head.   
  
“He said we shouldn’t make any problem with any people in this building because it means our death, so we have to do everything silently.”   
  
“With us entering this building silently we already made a problem. We should walk in casually through the front door, not from the window like a thief.”   
  
It was actually just a grunt from Yamada but he intentionally said it louder than should be, made everybody turned to him.   
  
“They lock Yabu here. Do you think they will allow us to take him out of here easily? They won’t even allow us to enter the building.”   
  
“We didn’t try. How do we know?”   
  
“Do you want they shoot us before we reach Yabu?”   
  
“Okay, okay, stop it. We’re here. It’s the most important now.” Takaki clapped his hands to stop the quarrel. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw Yabu just boldly smiled at them.   
  
Suddenly the door opened and the guard walked into the room. Before he could say anything, he suddenly fell to the floor with Yamada was sitting on his back.   
  
The sound of clapping hands made Yamada turned and just rolled his eyes when he saw his friends were cheering on him.   
  
“Good job, Yamada!” Takaki jumped like a little child between Hikaru and Yabu who nodded many times and agreed him.   
  
“This is the reason we call you Yamada the great. Act first, think later.”   
  
Hikaru smiled widely and walked over. He reached for the guard and pulled him from the floor. He almost threw him to the chair and with the help from Takaki who pulled the curtain and tied him to the chair.   
  
“Just to be assured that you won’t run away from here.”   
  
Hikaru stood in front of the guard and smiled.   
  
“I’m sorry. We don’t have any grudge against you. We’re just taking our friend back.” He tapped his cheek playfully. “I won’t hurt you, don’t worry, but I will definitely kill you if you dare to lay any finger on my friend. Not even a scratch.”   
  
The man greeted his teeth while throwing Hikaru a killing stare.   
  
“Aw, come on. Don’t be mad. You look scary with that look, and I don’t like it. You look better when you smile, trust me. Do it once and every girl in the world will run to get you.”   
  
“Hikaru, let’s go.”   
  
The said person turned over so fast and throw unsatisfied look.   
  
“Do we have to go now? I still have an important conversation with my new friend here.”   
  
Both Takaki and Yamada rolled their eyes at the answer while Yabu once again threw a light chuckle. He really missed his joke he considered as stupid before. He never paid any attention to him since he found his mother.   
  
Yabu stunned.   
  
_She isn’t my mother. I’m too stupid because I didn’t try to confirm it and too focused with her. I’m blind and forgot all of my friends since she came to my life._  
  
“Stop blaming yourself and start to think how to get out of here. You came here from the front so you’d better lead us out of here now before his friends realize that we’re here.”   
  
Yabu looked at Yamada and he knew he was right. He didn’t say anything and just walked out of the room to lead them.   
  
_He isn’t Jin I knew. He’s somebody else. I don’t know him anymore._  
  
“Hikaru, come on.”   
  
“Five more minutes.”   
  
“Mom says, run.”   
  
Hikaru turned to meet a serious expression from his best friend.   
  
“Let’s go.”   
  
He walked out of the room without any more complaint and just followed where Yabu went. They went through a corridor and he furrowed his brows when the oldest opened a door.   
  
“This feels like de javu.”   
  
Hikaru mumbled too loud so everybody could hear him clearly when they walked through stairs. No one responded because this time they agreed him.   
  
“Please God. I don’t want any shooting when we go out of her, please. Not like before.”   
  
His wish granted. There’re just few people in the lobby and nobody paid attention when they left. “This is weird.”   
  
Yamada greeted his teeth. He agreed Hikaru right away. Yabu looked around carefully but found nothing. The atmosphere was different. Too far different from the time he came. It’s too calm.   
  
“You’re right. It’s too calm and I don’t like it.”   
  
“But I don’t hear anything so far. So I guess it’s fine.”   
  
Hikaru stunned. He suddenly took a step in front of Takaki and confronted him, forced him to stop walking. “Did you lie to me? About your mother?”   
  
Takaki raised his brows and smiled. “I did.” He pushed him to move and continued walking.   
  
Hikaru gaped dramatically. He turned over and almost ran to catch his friends. “Why did you do that?”   
  
“Because you won’t move if I didn’t say that.”   
  
“But you shouldn’t do that. I thought you heard it.”   
  
Hikaru suddenly stopped walking when Takaki stopped so sudden.   
  
“What?”   
  
“Run.”   
  
No more question and nobody asked. They ran away right after Takaki said the word. Like the ball, they bounced here and there before finally stopped at a deserted alley downtown. Yabu peeked at the main road and stayed alerted behind boxes.   
  
Nobody talked. Nobody moved. They stood silently behind Yabu like waiting for the commander to say something. In the dark, Hikaru looked at Takaki who looked uneasy. Many times, he looked at the both side of the alley.   
  
He wanted to ask but he knew that they shouldn’t say anything at the time.   
  
“Do you feel it?”   
  
Yamada thought the reverse. He bluntly asked him his feeling, made Hikaru almost gaped at his question.   
  
“Yeah. I don’t like this. The feeling I mean. I don’t know. Something is happening out there, and it must be big.”   
  
“There’s no one behind us. They don’t send anybody to come after us. So far, we’re safe. Let’s go.”   
  
Yabu turned and walked out to the main road. They just followed him obediently.   
  
“This is too eerie, and I don’t like it.”   
  
Everybody could read the uneasiness in Takaki’s voice. They looked at each other in silent, trying hard to understand his feeling. So many people walked around them. Some of them were even chattering loudly, some were laughing hard while passing by, yet, Takaki said the situation was too eerie.   
  
Yamada suddenly stopped and he gritted his teeth while staring at the big monitor on a high building in front of them.   
  
_“We take over the government. I am now ruling this country and I want your cooperation, my people.”_  
  
“Oh my God.”   
  



	39. We Will Keep Moving

Everything suddenly turned into a mess. The streets full of soldiers everywhere. Curfew imposed in all parts of the country. They can’t even move without looking at their back, and the worst thing was the hunt. The current leader was ordered to hunt all of them. All of units in their troop were suddenly spread and they cut all of the connections among them. They only left signs everywhere that only them who knew the meaning.   
  
Yabu stopped near the pole the last time he met Jin in the park. He looked around and gulped lightly when the said person was walking over to him.   
  
“We shouldn’t be here. They hunt you.”   
  
“I know.” Yabu leaned on the pole. “I don’t care.”   
  
“They will kill you once you caught.”   
  
“I said I don’t care.”   
  
Jin looked at him silently and sighed. “But I do. Come on. Let’s go to my place.”   
  
Yabu chuckled. “For what?”   
  
“If you try to make me angry, you won’t make it. I can’t get angry to you and you knew it. Come on.”   
  
Yabu once again only chuckled. “I called you just to ask you one thing.”   
  
Jin didn’t say anything. He just looked at him in silent, demanded him to say whatever Yabu wanted to say.   
  
“I just wanted to know why, especially about my mother’s case. Why did you do that? Did I do something wrong to you?”   
  
“No. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just … “  
  
Yabu chuckled. “You don’t have to explain anything, Jin, because I lost my will to know about it anymore. I have my own life now. I have my family beside me. I guess I don’t need anything else in this world.”   
  
Jin forced himself not to gape at the statement. He blinked and looked away.   
  
“I considered you as died long time ago when I couldn’t find any information about you, so I guess I’m right after all. You’re not the Jin I knew before. You changed a lot.”   
  
“Kou. We’re still … “  
  
Yabu raised his hand to give him a sign to stop and smiled.   
  
“Don’t Jin. I have good memories about you and I want to keep it always inside me. Let it stays good. Please.”   
  
Jin lost his words. He greeted his teeth. There’s something inside him that suddenly lost. He felt suddenly empty. He didn’t even say anything when finally Yabu turned and walked away.   
  
“Are you sure it’s okay?”   
  
Yabu turned and found all of his friends were looking at him in an undeniable seriousness.   
  
“He’s your only family left.”   
  
He smiled and looked up to the sky. “I considered him as dead since I don’t remember when. I have good memories about him and I want it to be good forever so, I guess, it is okay.” He started to walk. “I found you, anyway.”   
  
Ryutaro reached for his sleeves and pulled it. “Don’t act tough. You can cry if you want to.”   
  
Yabu stopped and turned to the youngest. He smiled. “I mean it, guys. This world may collapse but as long as you’re with me, I guess I will stand straight always.”   
  
Everyone looked at each other and suddenly they burst their laugh together.   
  
“You sound so romantic, Yabu.”   
  
Once again the laughed out loudly.   
  
“Guys, shall we go now?”   
  
Everybody turned to Takaki who pleaded them with his weird expression.   
  
“Please?”   
  
Everybody started to walk, following him who had walked first.   
  
“Listen. Maybe it’s too late but I’m really sorry. I should’ve ..., I should check it first before, but I just ate what he had served. I believed him right away.”   
  
“I will do the same if I were you.”   
  
Yabu looked at Takaki intently and only found a sincere look in his eyes. He could only sigh heavily when the younger smiled at him.   
  
“He is the one you consider as a brother. Of course you will believe him right away. I will do the same if I were in the same case as yours. Who knows that he will bertray you.”   
  
“But you remind me, and I’m so blessed that I have you beside me.”   
  
“It’s not only me. Look at what Yuto did. Yamada, and Hikaru stayed silent even they knew what she did. Ryutaro also did the same. We don’t even know what had Keito found. He always kept silent all the time, but I do know that he knows something. He knew something. He had found something, but he didn’t say anything. Don’t you know why?” He turned to the older and smiled. “You’re our big brother and we want you to stay still with us. We don’t want you to leave. We believed you.”   
  
Yabu bit his lips and nodded many times.   
  
“Come on. Let’s forget about that part. Let it flow with the wind and leave us. Let’s consider the part as one of the lost parts in our live.”   
  
Everyone stopped and looked at Yuri who was smiling widely to them. Some of them suddenly chuckled at his expression, while the others were just shaking their head in disbelief.   
  
“With you the one who talk, it sounds..., wow!”   
  
Yuri pursed his lips. “So do you think I’m ..., I shouldn’t say something like that?”   
  
“No. Sometimes you should say something you usually don’t say. Something you usually won’t say. It’s just ..., you know,” Inoo stopped for a while, trying hard to find the best words he could, “if Yabu says the words you just said, it will just ..., fit.”   
  
“You don’t give me the answer, Inoo.”   
  
Inoo smiled but didn’t say anything, made Yuri sighed heavily.   
  
“Okay, forget everything I’ve said. Let’s act like I never said it.”   
  
“Ow, come on! Don’t get mad.” Takaki slumped on his head and hugged him from behind. “They’re just not ready to see you grow up. They need you to stay cute.”   
  
Everybody could see stars in his eyes when Takaki finished his words, and they could only smiled and shook his head.   
  
“Here comes Don Juan of HeySayJUMP~”  
  
Everybody laughed together for Daiki’s words. Even Takaki and Yuri.   
  
Everything was a mess but they didn’t stop. They didn’t even look around. They walked forward in confidence and didn’t have any intention to look back.   
  
“This world had turned into a mess but not us. We’re just starting our life. We don’t know what will wait for us in the future, but we will not stop. I repeat, we will not stop. We lost a lot of things in our life, but our future is waiting for us somewhere out there. It is still undecided. We will keep moving and reach for our own happiness. Who will go with me?”   
  
Everybody smirked and toasted together before laughing out loudly.   
  
Free.   
  
The new feeling that grow bigger each day lately, had eaten them alive and they enjoyed it.   


**Author's Note:**

> First trying :D


End file.
